BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS - A resolution on the Borough Council's agenda Tuesday night to discuss cuts in the school district's budget became unnecessary when a court ruled that a disputed absentee ballot should be counted.

That vote, changed the tie vote that meant defeat of the school budget and tipped the balance toward approval.

Barbara Karavites' absentee ballot was rejected when a Superior Court judge upheld the decision of the county election board. The absentee ballot was rejected by the Monmouth County Board of Elections because the signature on the ballot did not match the one that was on file for Karavites, who, ironically, is the wife of the Board of Education president.

Tamar R. Sydney-Gens, the K-8 school district's business administrator/board secretary, said based on Karavites' testimony that indeed, it was her signature, the judge ruled in favor of counting Karavites vote.

"Therefore, the new official election results for the K-8 school district budget is 526 yes, 525 no," Sydney-Gens said.

The 2006-07 Tinton Falls K-8 budget of $26,101,600 includes a tax levy of $16,576,450 which translates to a decrease for Tinton Falls residents and an increase for Shrewsbury Township.

According to Sydney-Gens, Tinton Falls residents would see a tax decrease of one-tenth of 1 cent and Shrewsbury Township residents, who send 126 students to the K-8 schools, would see an 11.4-cent increase.

The Borough Council also had a resolution on the agenda to approve cuts to the defeated Monmouth Regional High School budget. At a special municipal hearing on the defeated budget, there was a tentative agreement to cut approximately $125,000 from the high school budget.

The Eatontown Borough Council has already voted to approve the $125,000 budget cuts. Shrewsbury Township is the third sender to the regional district.

During the special meeting on May 9, all of the school administrators agreed that it was an unfortunate mistake to close their schools for vacation at the same time as the school election because people who would normally vote for the budget were on vacation.

Councilman Brendan Tobin observed that the budgets of the schools in Monmouth County that were closed that week were defeated.

Ken Mills, a Tinton Falls resident, said his extended family of borough residents all went on vacation because the children were off from school.

"Me and my family members would object to your taking anything away from our great school system," he said.

Some other Tinton Falls residents expressed the same sentiment and urged that no cuts be made. One Shrewsbury Township resident said she was one of the few township residents who voted in favor of the budget. She said she was very pleased with the school district.

"A good education costs money," she said.