Okay. Not the only city that did it, right? How do we fill the holes? Well, there's no air conditioning. Well, it's the way it is. And you could you could you could spin it all you want. That's how it is. Because of that zero, you had to fill some holes because of the you had it go to a 9.6 six because of a field and all these other things that were happening. Fantastic field. Great job. All the other things you needed. Then we had to go to a zero again. Okay. When you when you give the township a zero, it's compounding. It's compounding. You know, over year after year after year, there's issues, right? And now if you look at if you look at the next two years, what we're proposing now, last year, we're at a nine again. Okay. I want to try to get this on a track for everyone here where we can maintain those very small increases, but there's a few reasons um why we can't do that.
Um, our goal for the patrol dog side of things, to be totally transparent with you guys, was about $35,000. We're trying to raise that number to not only purchase the dog, but also to upfit a repurposed patrol vehicle to be able to transport the dog, a kennel at the officer's house, um along with other miscellaneous items, leashes, bowls, toys, a vest, different things like that. So, that number was a was a high achievement for us, but the community has really blessed us and wrapped their arms around us. As you guys might recall on February the 26th at our very last home boys basketball game, uh with Mr. Mr. Charles Blessing, Mr. Digotss, we were in this very room and we were hosting a community fish and chicken fry. That was phenomenal. Our goal that night was to, you know, if we served 600 people, we thought we were really knocking it out of the park.
And we'll we'll talk about that last because that's my my biggest slide. But I want to talk to everybody about going to a zero. We want to go zero again. Go zero. You know, we're going to vote zero. We don't care what you say. No, nobody said that here, but I'm just saying you hear that in all these different districts. Well, if this board right now or if I propose this zero, forget about hiring 20 positions. We'd have to lose 20 positions. Okay. Um, we would have increased expenses. We would still have the we would have less of that 2.2 million increase, but we'd still have it. We'd have to lose some programs, overcrowded classrooms because we wouldn't be able to stay in compliance. So, that number is not feasible. It's just not. Okay. where we are right now is a conservative number at that 4.5 coming down 1% to scrub it a little bit um to do all those things that we talked about on one of those first slides.
And the truth of the matter is, uh, we ran out of tartar sauce. That was a problem. We ran out of chicken a little before 7. Um, but I guess that was a good thing even though the dinner was supposed to go till 7:30. The truth of the matter is we served 651 people in here that night. And I just want to publicly say thank you for your support and Mr. Digs allowing us to use the building. Uh Beth Clark, what an awesome woman. She she was here over and over for us and uh we just really appreciate her and and her efforts as well. Again, the community came together. We've had some really substantial donations that have come to us um to to again trying to build that $35,000 number. Dave and Vicky Denton contributed uh a significant amount to us. Troy Johnson, as many of you guys know, out at NCO devices.
This is the most important slide besides how much it's going to cost you every month and I don't know if you've ever talked about it here. This is the one you should be thinking about. Okay, this is not a Garfield calculation. This is a state calculation. This is saying that after the board approves hopefully 4.5% tax increase, this district will still be $17.5 million underfunded. Underfunded so that it can equal a district just like us. 17.5 million. That makes complete sense to me as I lay everything out saying that I need a 20% tax increase to give everybody what they need here. Okay, that is an extremely high number. The state wants you to raise taxes $17.5 million to cover that. Never going to happen. It's not going to happen. It's not just just don't even think about it. But I want you to remember what everyone here is doing for less, okay?
We put that picture out on our Facebook page. Kevin and Andrea Offenberger, the parents of our canine officer that we selected to run the patrol dog. They kicked in a very generous check and we just really appreciate them. And most recently to close that last little gap to hit that patrol dog goal, uh Captain Elliot just took pledges from Jonathan Amore at Amore Esavating. And I know you guys have done some business with him along with Drew Clark at Clark's Recycling that have really helped us to close that gap. The exciting thing about this team standing behind me is is that as we're going throughout this fundraising effort, um Dr. Ryan's uh public relations director, a lady by the name of Claudia Johnson, she reaches out to my secretary one day and if I if I'm not mistaken, Dr. Ryan, I think it was a Friday and uh she reached out to us and and expressed Dr.
What everyone here has been doing because that number just continually grows. That number grew from two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, that number was 17.2 million. I think we took a percent off and now we're at 17.5. That's a real number. All right. You go to other districts, Bergen County districts that are doing different things, maybe have four chemistry teachers. There's districts in this county have four chemistry teachers. We can't find one. Four. Okay. Their adequacy is plus 200,000. Right. That's they're called S2 districts. They get cut aid, right? we keep getting equalization aid. When that equalization aid goes away, which it will one day, not completely, that number is going to skyrocket. Again, I've been involved in districts that have been over $20 million. It takes time to get that down, but you see differences in a whole bunch of different things for these kids because that's what it's about.
Ryan's wishes to help us support our cause. And uh she provided us with a really significant number. And I'll be honest with you, I I I purposely sat on the phone call uh through the weekend because my very first call was to my mayor and my second call was to Mr. Trout because in the back of my head, I had Officer Loe's wish and dream of this K9 school K-9 program to come to reality. And uh that Monday, the very first call when I got to the office was to Claudia Johnson. And I presented this program to her and she was just hugely on board. And uh even though that number was a little higher than their initial contribution that I was requesting, I don't even think she asked Dr. Ryan because she kept me on the phone and she just said, "We want we want to do it and we want to completely and totally fund that K9 police K9 school dog program for you guys." And so I'm just really blessed to have them here and I I want to acknowledge their contribution and their support and not only to the Huntington Police Department, but the students of our school district and our community as a whole.
What these kids need and what they have, not what they don't have, what they have, right? We need to give them more. That's why we're all here. That's what it means. basically means there's a shortfall on the funding system. Um the impact is less programs, long-term effects. You know, why shouldn't a Garfield kid have exactly the same opportunity as a kid a mile away? Why not? Right. Right now, it's because of that number. And it's not because of this current board. It's not because of boards in the past. It's systemic. It's what's been happening. It's time to change that narrative. It's time to change what we're doing. It's trying to time to look towards the future. A new strategic plan, a new way of going, everybody working together to make sure all this stuff comes together. So that's it. Thank you very much. Well, thank you.
And I'd like to ask Dr. Ryan to come up and say a few words about that. Thank Thank you for that. A tough act to follow. Uh I would definitely say special shout out to Dr. Tanner Bab who's here this evening who is a product of Huntington schools obviously as you know professor over there at Huntington University. Um I share that because he's one of three of our Huntington board members right the other one is Dr. uh Dwayne Hogandler well-known pediatrician here in town and also Matt Ditler president of the community foundation of Huntington. And they round out those three. They keep our focus at Bowen Health on the Huntington community. Uh, see, here at Bowen Health, we take being a not for-p profofit seriously. Uh, if we were a for-profit company, we'd be focused on returning value to our shareholders on Wall Street. Instead, being a not for-p profofit, we seek to return a different value to different shareholders here on Main Street.
Not a problem. At this time, I'd like to open up the floor. All right. At this time, I'd like to open up the floor for public comment. Um, everybody knows the procedure pretty much by now. Um, at budget only. Public comment is open. I'm sorry, Mr. President. Um, it's limited at this point just to budgetary comments. Public comment for this portion of the meeting is for the budget only. Please comment at this portion uh at this time in the meeting just regarding the budget. There will be another agenda and another meeting uh after this for general comment. But if any of the public has comments regarding the budget, now is the time to make those comments. Okay. Good evening, Orlelene Peter, 184 Midland Avenue, Garfield, New Jersey. The budget kind of went fast, so it was hard to look at. So, I'll go over it more tomorrow, but my question is, you've cut and you keep using the word compliance.
Bowen Health is your community mental health center that makes our shareholders, our patients, our staff, and our Huntington community. An example of how we balance those shareholders is our decision to build a new facility here on 24 in the next two years. See, that's a patient shareholder issue because we want them to have a place that's designed specifically for their health needs. It's a staff investment because we want to have a facility for our Huntington staff to feel proud. And it's a community investment by moving the location to a more convenient place and offering more than just mental health, physical health, and pharmacy. But also when we launch, we're going to offer uh dental services. See, that brings us to this evening. Uh we're here for a community shareholder investment. When you read about the possibility, when we read about the possibility of partnering with law enforcement and Huntington schools, it was a no-brainer.
Don't you think we're rather topheavy? Not talking about teachers, secretaries, janister. We have assistance to it. You're shaking your head. No, Mr. Tomgo. But we have assistance to assistants, which we never had before. We have people getting stipens for doing their job. It's not an extra job. They get a $10,000 stipen per year. I know of two of them. I wish I would have brought the resolution numbers with me, but they're doing one job, not two. Normally, when a secretary gets a sip, it's because she's doing her secretarial job and another job. I mean, I'm sure this budget could have been trimmed down a bit more. Again, it was going so fast and not by anybody's fault, you know, but I, you know, want to look over it better. Um, and I'm sure you're going to hit the insurance again next year. You don't realize our teachers are on the lowest pay scale to start.
While there was a small monetary investment, Bowen Health sees this as an investment in relationships. As a clinician myself, I've been there and seen the power a resource officer can have being in the presence of a student. I've also seen the power that an animal can have in a student's life. Together, you guys here in Huntington is going to see amazing things with these two together. So, in that, it's a privilege that you allow us to work with you in raising and teaching our future leaders. Huntington Police and Huntington Schools. Thank you for your continued partnership with Bowen Health. We're proud to call you shareholders because we are a safety net service. That means that we're here for all regardless of a person's ability to pay. And I think that's more important today than ever. So, thank you again for that partnership. Thank you. Want to go to the last slide for me, Cindy?
That's why it was so hard to find a chemistry teacher because our pay scale is low. So, at least the compensation of giving them decent health insurance maybe would compensate somewhat for their low salary. And give me a minute. Um, and normally I I guess you didn't do it tonight as far as voting on the budget, but in the future, uh, I don't know why. Okay. I'm on a different board than you guys are. I'm on an appointed board where we open up to the public before we take a vote. Opening up to the public allows the public to make comments because there's a lot of times and I'll admit it, I'm looking at something on the zoning board and in my mind I'm saying, "I'm never or I'm definitely going to let this pass." And then when I hear from the public their pros and cons, I change my mind.
And that is simply questions. Hopefully we've covered all and and have been able to answer all. But if you have some for us, I'll I'll try my best. If not, I got a team behind me that can make it happen. I turned it on. Did you see that, John? I I knew you'd be impressed. I just want to say I am the lived here my whole I'm probably the oldest board member. I'm not going to ask your age, Deb, but I'm on my third term here. I've lived here my whole life. The kids went through school here. But since sitting on this board, since you've come on this board with you, Mr. Boxel, acting sheriff Hamill since he's not here. It is so cool as a school board member to see how close everybody has gotten to supporting this school, this community. It's not just school.
I change my vote and say, "Oh my god, I didn't even think of it that way." And I think you should really consider having public comments before it goes to a vote because I'm sure some of the board members would see it the people's way. I mean, really. Uh oh. Oh, okay. Wait, one more thing. If it's to the budget. Okay, it wasn't to the budget, so I can't talk then. Okay. Thank you so much. Next. Here we go. Okay. Good evening, Mr. Tonko. Committee. Uh, I'm trying to under Oh, 152 Shan Place Garfield, New Jersey. Alexandra Zan. I'm trying to understand why our district needs actually charter school. Why we are forcing to have charter school whose expenses have significant grow over the past three years. I checked the numbers because you post them actually on the website. All the speech is on the website.
It's other things going on, but to see everybody working together, and to be one of the only school corporations around that's going to have this, you're I'm not going to lie to you. You going to know, you're going to have people buck buck you because you've got a dog in the school going through the locker. Tough It's my locker and I have grandkids in this school and that's what it's all about. So I this is so this is so cool to see this. The sad part about it is is only thing I'm disappointed is is the bottom line says this K9 will not be trained in traditional protection and bite because we want to see how far Chuck could get as a board member. That's the only thing our other thing as a board member. We want to see how fast Chuck can still run.
You guys could find it for the past week. I have to say something about that. um expensive sign expenses of charter school significant grow over the past three years from four and a half million to 12 million dollars if I am not mistaken again not every student attending this school is a resident of Garfield yet when it comes to education the quality should be the same as the p as that uh of public students from my understanding over the past few years there have been major issues with charter school in Garfield they received funds for air conditioner Which one you just mentioned that electric bus buses? Yeah, we need it and I can see the future for them. However, air condition for high school is more important at this moment. The electric school buses. Ashcarter school received funds for air conditioning that were intended for public schools only, not for partially public school because charter school is partially public school.
But no, thank you, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Boxel, Mr. Haml. This is so cool to see the community come together and put this together for the safety of our kids is thank you for that. Much appreciated for your time and everything and the Boeing center for the part that you guys are doing from the oldest board member here. Thank you very much. I appreciate this. So, you're welcome, sir. Thank you, Jake Boxel. Keep bringing good things to us. So, uh, I'm just saying you set the bar high. So, I can't wait to see the next time you come. I want to know what what's going to come next. I'm going to be following Hamill the next time. Okay. You're going to be following Hamill. That that'll be good. So, you know where the bar's set, Chad. So, uh, we'll expect something as good. Uh, but again, I just want to again thank everyone, uh, seeing the community come together, seeing the community support, seeing individuals from different sectors, uh, with the city, the county, everyone working together.