The Budget, The Taste: Choices, Choices

, Morris School District Superintendent Thomas Ficarra presented to a sparse audience (made up mostly of members of the district itself) the preliminary 2011-12 school budget. Tonight, at 7:30 p.m., the finalized budget will be presented before the public, about a month before the April 27 public vote.

Around the same time, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Hanover Marriott, in East Hanover, , featuring about three dozen Morristown-area dining establishments, as well as wine and liquor tastings.

The choices, the choices. How to choose?!

1. You Need to Know the Preliminary Schools Budget was About $100 Million: At , Ficarra outlined a preliminary 2011-12 schools budget of $100,493,559. Should that figure stay the same in the final version, owners of a home in Morristown valued at the average of $354,000 would pay $193 than they do now, at a tax rate of $1.27 per $100 of assessed valuation. In Morris Township, the total homeowner responsibility for someone with a house valued at the township average of $390,000 would go up $180 a year, with a tax rate of $1.41 per $100 of assessed valuation.
2. You Need to Know the Taste of Morristown is Organized by the Morristown Rotary: Part of Rotary International, the annual Taste event, at $60 a ticket, is the service organization's biggest fundraiser of the year.
3. You Need to Know Taxes Could Actually Drop: During the preliminary budget hearing, schools Business Administrator Chris Kelly noted that under a "best case" scenario, the tax rate for schools in Morristown could actually drop to $1.24 per $100 of assessed valuation, while the township tax figure would remain unchanged.
4. You Need to Know a 'Taste' is Not a Buffet, But it is Pretty Generous: Many restaurants will be showing off their top choices, but don't expect massive portions. The name says it all; you're getting a taste, perhaps a little less than a tapas portion. But, with so many participating restaurants, don't expect to walk away unsatisfied.
5. You Need to Know It Takes Less Than 10 Minutes to Get From One to the Other: Since the Taste of Morristown begins at 6 p.m., and the budget hearing begins at 7:30 p.m., those interested in attending both will still have a good one hour and 20 minutes (if cutting it super-fine) of food samplings (here are some easy-to-follow driving directions). But, perhaps keep the libations to a minimum, if at all. Safety first, friends!