Ocean passes school budget; elects Acerra, Long, Hadden

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Ocean: Ocean and Loch Arbour voters accepted the $55.7 million budget by a 54% to 46% margin yesterday in a turnaround of voter sentiments of recent years. The increase of 2.4% pushed the state cap of 2% up slightly, a reflection of state allowance for health care increases. {{more}}

Voters elected first time candidate Robert V. Acerra and re-elected present Board of Education members Richard Long and Joseph Hadden. The election saw a turnout of 17% of registered voters, with individual voting district turnout ranging from 25% to a less than 4%.

With absentees not included in the count yet, and not expected to make any change in result, the total vote was 3,132 votes of a total of 18,700 registered.

Acerra led the list of 6 candidates with 48.6% of the votes cast. Long had 44.4% and Hadden came in at 43.6% and a 300 plus vote lead over the next closest candidate.

At the League of Women Voters sponsored debate earlier in the month, the three candidates emphasized the need for close management of school financials, and the continuing reduction of state aid over the last decade.

At issue as well were the costs concerns of Loch Arbour residents who are in the midst of deciding on if they will continue the sending school arrangements with Ocean Township or seek to achieve more favorable tax conditions elsewhere.

Taxpayers in Ocean will have $147 per year increase on the average home of just over $400,000 assessed valuation, versus a 15% increase or $1785 per year on the average home of $1.1million in Loch Arbour.

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