The HOWELL Times
Vol. 22 - No. 50
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Netflix Breaks Ground On $1B Studios At Fort Monmouth
Memorial Day BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 7-10
Inside The Law Page 11
Dear Pharmacist Page 11
Classifieds Page 15
Photo courtesy Governor’s Office Officials turn over a symbolic shovel of dirt as Netflix breaks ground on a $1 billion studio. By Alyssa Riccardi MONMOUTH COUNTY – Netf lix officially broke ground at For t Mon mouth, starting construction for its new state-of-theart production facility. The ceremony was held on May 13 at the
292-acre former US Army base. The company plans to invest $1 billion to transform the decade-long vacant site into a top-tier production hub on the East Coast. The space will feature 12 cutting-edge soundstages totaling
nearly 500,000 square feet, with additional areas dedicated to supporting film uses and community amenities. “Netflix is proud to invest in American innovation and the creative community,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO
of Netf lix. “We estimate that these studios will create thousands of jobs for New Jersey residents, billions of dollars in economic output, and many other cultural benefits to the region and state. Over (Studios - See Page 3)
Police Unity Tour Rides In Memory Of Fallen Officers
By Chris Lundy BE R K E L E Y – Hundreds of police officers rode their bicycles on a fourday journey to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Wash-
ington, D.C. to remember their brothers and sisters who are no longer with them. Lt. Nicholas Szymanski of the Marlboro Township Police Department is the national delegate for the Police
Unity Tour for Section 10, which includes areas of central New Jersey. He estimated that they had about 400 bicyclists from his section alone, joined by another hundred support crew members.
They rode in remembrance of officers who were lost on duty. One of them was from 50 years ago. Manchester Patrolman Robert Tobias was struck and killed by a veh icle wh ile performing a traffic
stop on Route 70 on May 17, 1975. The 23-year-old had only been an officer for one year. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, the driver who str uck
(Officers - See Page 2)
May 24, 2025
School Board Adopts $150M Budget
By Alyssa Riccardi HOWELL – Members of the Howell Township Board of Education have adopted a $150 million budget for the 2025-26 school year. According to the district, the total budget is $150,525,553 which will be supported by $93,248,413 in taxes. This is an increase of $2,947,567 or 3.3% from the previous year. The board previously voted to not participate in the New Jersey Department of Education’s Tax Levy Incentive Program, which would have allowed to district to increase taxes above the normal cap in order to receive more funds. Business Administrator Ronald Sanasac said enrollment has gone up 8.2% from 2019-20 to 2024-25, but the administrative team has remained stable. “Howell Township’s total administrative cost was $4,701,336 below the $16,227,973 State-standard,” Sanasac noted. Challenges the district is facing with the budget includes un-funded governmental mandates, continued security initiatives, and insurance. In addition, rising utility costs pose a large challenge, as electric costs are slated to increase by 20% in June, Sanasac said. For the last seven years, Howell Schools have struggled with state aid cuts due to the S-2 funding formula. In Governor Phil Murphy’s preliminary budget announcement for the 2026 fiscal year, the Howell School District is slated to receive $21,455,291 in state aid for the 2025-26 school year. According to the NJ Department of Education, this is a decrease of $663,566 or 3%. “Although there was a little rebound last year because of the supplemental aid that they gave us, this year we’re not expecting that. And you can see once again the state aid has declined,” Sanasac said. Additionally, Sanasac noted that federal grants have reduced by 25% and the Preschool Expansion Aid funding methodologies have changed. “All of the decreases almost outweigh the increase to the point where the new levy and the funds we’re projecting are only a 0.02% in total spendable cash,” Sanasac said. For the 2025 tax rate, the average house, assessed at $610,621, would see an average (School Board - See Page 3)
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