Mendham Twp., Chester BOE Won’t Fund School Study—For Now

Last week, the ; this week the Mendham Township Committee said not so fast.

“While this appears to be an encouraging development, it remains to be seen whether Mendham Borough’s full council will support the recent resolution and whether Chester Borough or Chester Township would be willing to go along with this action,” Mendham Township Mayor Rick Merkt said.

“Should the Chesters demonstrate an interest in following Mendham Borough’s lead on this issue there will still be time for the Township Committee to deliberate whether adding a budget line for a share of the feasibility study is warranted.”

Committeeman Sam Tolley said he agreed with Merkt to a point, but suggested Merkt reach out to the other mayors and be proactive in seeing if there was a consensus, something Merkt agreed to.

“I agree we should be discussing it. But what I would like to do is not get distracted by it this year unless we agree there is chance of success,” Merkt said. “We would be happy to move forward if that is what the four towns wanted to do. I really wanted to see the Borough’s action and understand the Borough’s action and then I need to take the temperature of the Chesters, and I will commit to you that I will reach out to them for that purpose."

While Merkt didn’t know which way the other governing bodies and boards of education were leaning, Committeeman Rob Strobel said after speaking with a member of the Chester Board of Education, they were not prepared to spend the money to fund the study.

Indeed, Chester Consolidated School Board of Education President Kerri Wright said at its budget meeting last week, “the Board decided not to include money in its 2013-2014 budget for a feasibility study.”

The proposal pitched by Chester Township resident Charlene Arrington to the Chester Board of Education said that the Chester K-8 and the two Mendham K-8 districts would be asked for $10,000 as would the two Mendham municipalities.

Arrington also said Chester Township and Washington Township would not be asked and that Chester Borough would be asked to contribute a smaller amount because it is a smaller municipality.

Mendham Township resident Kevin Corbett said he was speaking on behalf of the Citizens for Better Schools organization and that he had sent a letter on behalf of CBS and asked for $10,000 for a feasibility study to study a 9-12 district or a K-12 district.

“We think the $10,000 allocation would show a good signal that you have faith in that effort,” Corbett said.

Mendham Township resident Norm Preston said that many in the town have really looked forward for a change in the funding formula and that alternate means of financing a study should be considered.

“I might suggest that some of these people who are adamant might consider a fundraising program and putting it into some sort of trust account,” Preston said. “Then if the money doesn’t get used it could be given back to the people who donated it from the trust.”

Even if both Mendham K-8 districts agree to fund the study (which they have not yet) and Mendham Township decides to match Mendham Borough’s commitment, there will still be $10,000 shortfall for the projected $50,000 cost with only Chester Borough left to contribute.

But back in August, the governing body of Chester Borough refused to chip in $10,000 towards a feasibility study, in part, because some members of the council took issue with the big cost for the little community.

"Chester Borough, which is very little, is being asked to chip in $10,000 which is disproportionate," Council member Jennifer Cooper-Napolitano said at the time.

For now, Mendham Borough stands alone in funding the feasibility study which might not make it past discussion phase, for the second year in a row.