Golub: State is to blame for some problems on the municipal level
BY ELANA ARON Correspondent

Eugene Golub

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Members of the Township Committee have selected Committeeman Eugene Golub to serve as Freehold Township's mayor during 2008. Committeeman David Salkin has been named deputy mayor.

Committeewoman Dorothy Avallone, who was re-elected in November, was sworn in to office to begin serving another three-year term on the governing body when the township held its annual reorganization meeting. Avallone served as mayor in 2007.

Committeemen Anthony Ammiano and Raymond Kershaw join Golub, Salkin and Avallone on the committee.

Golub, who served as mayor in 2002, has served as a committee member for about 12 years. He said the area of focus for the coming year will be directed at implementing change at the state level.

"Fundamentally, the town is in very good shape," Golub said. "The things that make the township so well run are the continuity of the people and the fact that we have hired the very best administrators and consultants that you can get. The main place for change is at the state level. There is not a rational level of state aid for schools."

According to Golub, the Freehold Township School District receives $5 million in state aid for grades K-8. He cites state aid going to other towns, noting that the numbers simply do not add up.

He said Marlboro, which is considered to be a wealthier town than Freehold Township, has 35 percent more pupils than Freehold Township and receives $9 million in state aid, while Manalapan receives $15 million in state aid.

While Howell does have twice the number of K-8 pupils as Freehold Township has, Golub said the Howell school district receives $30 million in state aid.

Golub also cited the so-called Abbott school districts, a group of 30 school districts, primarily urban settings such as Newark, Asbury Park, Camden and East Orange, that were deemed by the New Jersey Supreme Court as places where children were receiving an inadequate education.

As a result of those legal cases, about 50 percent of all state school aid goes to the 30 Abbott districts while the remaining 50 percent of the state school aid pie is divided among the other 580 school districts.

"Freehold Township gets less than 10 percent of state aid (of its total public school budget) for education," Golub said. "The average is 30 percent. It's very destructive, especially to our municipality. The Abbott districts spend double per student.

"Every board of education and township should get $5,000 for every student. Fundamentally, the formula is flawed. Unless you're an expert, you can never figure out what the devil they're doing. The system has to be fixed and that's the main area of concern," he said.

Earlier this week the lame duck state Legislature was debating a new school funding plan on the final day of the legislative session. It was not known at press time if the new school funding formula that was proposed had been adopted.

The new school funding formula indicated that many public school districts would receive additional state funding.

Golub is also concerned that extra state funding is going to municipalities that are controlled by Democrats. Freehold Township's governing body is all-Republican and has been for decades.

"I think (the state) does this (give less state aid) to suburban towns. The party in power will reward its constituents," he said. "The gross receipts franchise tax goes up a small amount each year.

"The sate took away that exact amount of money that went to fund other things. They (the state) play wonderful games," Golub explained.

Golub said there is misuse of power within the state Supreme Court, citing the Abbott districts and the Council on Affordable Housing as examples.

"The Supreme Court attempted to act as legislators in these two areas," he said. "I think New Jersey needs to improve. The stress in the community is caused by the state."

According to Golub, measures taken to improve funding for education will include collecting data, publicizing the situation and speaking to legislative groups. In the meantime, Golub said the committee will continue to work hard on behalf of the community.

"We are five very different people," he said of the committee members. "The only thing we have in common is that we don't have large egos. We want to help the township. We want to make the town the very best that it can be."