Town Council May Move School Election to November

Township council is prepared to move the school election to November, potentially reversing earlier this month.

Under , school elections can be moved—and school budgets taken off the ballot—one of three ways: by voter referendum, by a resolution of the board of education, or by resolution of the municipal governing body.

The Moorestown board of education voted 5-2 against moving the election at the beginning of the month. Mayor John Button had previously said, though he personally didn’t see a downside to moving the election, “My perspective is, I’m not the expert … It certainly would be our desire to work together with the school board.”

However, because of the number of Burlington County school districts that have moved their election—only three (out of 39) districts, including Moorestown, have not moved, according to district business administrator Lynn Shugars—the cost of holding an April election may spike.

For roughly the past 15 years, the county has run school elections and prorated the bill among the 39 districts, Shugars said. Even though the number of districts holding April elections has shrunk drastically, the process is still “fairly labor-intensive” and the county has indicated this could lead to much higher bills for the remaining three districts, she said.

Moorestown School District currently expends about $20,000 to hold the April election.

In light of this information, Button directed township clerk Patty Hunt Monday night to draft a resolution to move the school election, which council will consider during a special budget meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The mayor said he had been in touch with Board President Don Mishler as early as Monday afternoon and had shared his thoughts with Mishler.

“We have been in ongoing dialogue. We are not in conflict on this,” said Button. “They understand our position.”

Button also he’d had individual conversations with each council member to gauge their opinion and the consensus was most of them were inclined to move the election, “but it was not a strong inclination,” he said. However, those conversations occurred before they became aware of the potentially increased election costs.

Councilman Chris Chiacchio however, came down against moving the election.

“I don’t support it myself … because I think the board of ed has spoken,” he said. “They’re the ones we entrust with the decisions of our school system. I also don’t like losing control of voting on the budget.”

Button said the board is reconsidering its decision to keep the election in April in light of the new information.

Shugars could not confirm that, and Mishler could not be reached as of press time.

Township council voted 4-0 in favor of taking up the resolution to move the election at its Thursday meeting, with Chiacchio abstaining.

Council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the media center at .