Will someone give me a rainy day fund?
The NHRs Luther Turmelle reported on the BOE budget sent to the Council:
The Board of Education has voted to cut $535,000 from the $59.78 million budget that Superintendent of Schools Greg Florio proposed for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, with more than half that amount pulled from maintenance funds... Republicans Alan Sobol and Gerry Brittingham cast the two votes against the spending plan...Of the amount that the board voted to cut, $300,000 is from an account that had been designated as a “rainy day fund,” designed to cover unexpected maintenance projects that arise during the school year.
A rainy day fund here.
A rainy day fund there.
Here a debt service reserve fund.
There a medical trust fund.
Everywhere a reserve or fund!
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to tax we go!
Apparently Cheshire's Advocates of Big Government will stop at nothing to drain our wallets. That's not to say our schools are in perfect shape. I'm saying... request funding for a specific project.
Speaking of the ABG though, I'm still looking forward to their hollow arguments against Gov. Rell's "Prop 3" proposal to cap property tax increases to 3% per year. I mean... voters can override the 3% limit anytime. So why not have the limit and require the ABG to explain their "needs" in relation to the taxpayers' shrinking wallets?
Tim White
31 comments:
Everything the Board of Ed does is for the children. End of discussion. Who are you to question how much we spend?
You and Gov. Rell say that increases in property tax (and spending) should be limited to 3% a year, and that tax increases over 3% should have to get voter approval.
Next you’ll say that tax money belongs to taxpayers, and that the School Dept. should have to be careful about spending like everyone else. You're so mean-spirited.
The voters cannot be trusted to make decisions about school spending. We’re the education experts, we know what’s best for the children. So just pay your taxes and shut up. Wunderland, don’t question, be happy.
Well as a way of comparing the Wallingford Board of Ed cut 80K from their budget before sending it on to the their council
The Cheshire Board cut way, way more
All things being equal it seems the Cheshire board has done a responsible job
Florio asked for a 7% increase, and the Board cut less than 1%. So spending (and our taxes) will rise by only 6%. We peasants should be so happy!
One should not stand for another government mandate from Hartford and the Tarnished Dome
We don't need Hartford to tell us how much our taxes should go up or down. We should set ourselves free from the yoke of Hartford.
Don't go along with some arbitrary number-Gov Rell take your 3 percent and go home!
Where does this stop? This will not last forever. The train has to stop sometime to refuel. I don't have the answer but trying to work together to find a solution would help.
Help me understand. Our school population is declining by 80 students and the budget might go up 4 million. How much will it go up when the NE develpment of + 11 students arrive? Did I recall the Supt say they would be absorbed with no increase?????? T
Prop. 3% would not “tell us how much our taxes should go up or down.” It simply requires local voter approval for any tax increase over 3% a year. Voters can still authorize higher taxes and spending if they want.
Prop. 3% will free us from the yoke of out-of-control taxes and spending by empowering local voters to set limits.
What a "NOVEL" idea to empower local voters.
Translations of 12:55 above
are in Bold:
“One should not stand for another government mandate from Hartford and the Tarnished Dome”. Prop. 3% is one state program that can actually limit property tax increases. We on the Council and BOE don’t want to be restricted in our ability to tax and spend your money.
“We don't need Hartford to tell us how much our taxes should go up or down”. We don’t need the town’s voters/taxpayers telling us how much their taxes should be.
“We should set ourselves free from the yoke of Hartford”. You should carry the yoke of skyrocketing taxes to fund whatever Dr. Florio and certain Council members want. We don’t need the public asking questions.
“Don't go along with some arbitrary number-Gov Rell take your 3 percent and go home!” Don't expect your tax increases to have any relation to the rate of inflation. If we want a 6-7% increase in school spending, just pay for it and be quiet.
We should not entertain another mandate from Hartford. We can run our own affairs. We do not need anyone from out of town telling us how much to pay our teachers or where to spend our money. What next will they tell us what color to paint our town hall.
boy this really gets me mad!
Interesting how 4:25 uses the language of fiscal conservatives when he wants to confuse the issue.
Prop 3% simply gives greater say to the town’s taxpayers about how their money is raised and spent. It will INCREASE local control by increasing the democratic input of local voters.
Under Prop 3%, the state won’t be telling the town to do anything. In reality, 4:25 wants the Council and BOE to retain all taxing and spending authority without allowing direct voter input.
If you're going to jack up my taxes and your spending by more than 3% a year, then I want the right to vote on it.
Gov. Rell is right: LET THE PEOPLE VOTE.
Anon 4:25 Who do you think is telling us what to pay our teachers now? Some arbitrators from somewhere comes up with the increase (not Cheshire). This law time has passed.
I agree with "LET THE PEOPLE VOTE."
This is not the state telling the town what to do, it's the people telling the town what to do.
What possible justification is there in denying the taxpayers the right to vote?
If we settle to allow a 3% increase in the annual budget that would mean for this year the Town and BOE would be allowed a total of 3 million dollars. The BOE requested slightly over 4 mil, the Town budget has yet to be announced. SO what do we have? Either 3% id way too low, makes no matter if the tax payers can afford it, or spending and past sins and contracts are way too high.
Florio may not think a 7.3% increase is very much, but most people in Cheshire don't make $120,000 a year nor do most have lucative benefits like Mr Florio and the rest of town government.
There are a lot of people in Cheshire who are just hanging on. Cheshire may be considered a rich town, but many people young and old just can't afford the high taxes, and that's why older residents are voting with their feet. When they sell their houses, new people with children or planning to raise a family move in.
There are many people in town who live on fixed income and others who are working have not receievd a raise, and don't have health insurance and haven't gotten raises. The people just can't afford Mr Floria, who simply goes back to the taxpayers and has them cough up more.
Mr. Floria should start figuring out how to make the system more efficient and effective instead of less effective. It's time to consider the interests of the taxpayers.
The time has come for Prop 3% in Conn. Massachusetts has had Prop 2½% for over 25 years now, and their schools and town services are still well funded.
City and town boards have to justify any tax/spending increases above the inflation rate. And sometimes the voters in Mass. towns agree to exceed the 2½% limit for good reasons. Prop 3% will make the council and school dept. more directly accountable to the voters and taxpayers of Cheshire and all the towns of Conn.
We should not obey any unfunded mandates from hartford or washington
We should ignore the no child left behind unfunded mandate
It does us no good
Let us nullify this law
The budget increase is only 6+%. Stop whining. Gas has gone up 25%, electric 12%, groceries a mere 10%. Thank your leaders fore keeping the increase only 2.5 times inflation.
There maybe a downside. I see our good ole boy Matt Altieri is excited about the turf money. He looks forward to an arrangement like the playground deal...a private public / partnership. Oh crap. He may have to decide what is more important...leaving a little in the pockets of taxpayers so the can make a donation for the turf or cutting something from the budget increase to make up this shortfall.
I suggest we watch Matt over the next few weeks. After all the Democrats on town council have just told the public we have a defined surplus policy...8-9 %. to maintain whether taxpayers and the Republican minority like it or not.
I have a feeling these same D's may not be long for this political world if they think they can continue to tap into your wallets and not use up any goodwill. How much political capital are they are willing to squander.
Look out for comments like..."I take umbridge with that line of questioning Mr. Republican...our children deserve better. Look at the budgets in Simsbury and Glastonbury."
You wait and you'll hear it all. Enjoy the ride.
"We should not obey any unfunded mandates from hartford or washington"
Explain just how Prop 3% is an "unfunded mandate"??
Elections and referendums are required by the state, but are not considered to be unfunded mandates like no child left behind.
The only cost of Prop 3% will be the cost of a referendum if the council tries to raise taxes by more than 3%... a nominal cost compared to the millions of dollars taxpayers will save.
Stop obfuscating the issue and
Let the People Vote.
To 9:31 :
You still haven’t answered my question:
EXPLAIN JUST HOW PROP 3% IS AN “UNFUNDED MANDATE”??
I know you've seen this question because you've been spamming on the other thread. Please answer it unless you're incapable of intelligent dialogue.
Anon 1:15,
Don't hold your breath waiting for an answer. That's Matt A. spamming all that nonsense about Prop. 3% being an unfunded mandate. He avoids answering any questions because like you say, he's incapable of intelligent dialogue.
Let the people vote. So it cost a few thousand dollars, we could save millions with a more scrutinized budget. Town Council get it done.
We need to get the recall provision back into the town charter so we can remove elected officials that have no regard for the financial situation of the average citizen. Teachers or ex-teachers should not be allowed to run for the Board of Ed. Teachers on the BoE should be the definition of "a conflict of interest".
Oh no, we can't let the people vote. We on the town council and board of ed. know what's best for you (and us).
Letting the people vote is dangerous. The voters can't be trusted to approve 7% annual increases in taxes and spending.
So how do we stop this Prop 3% which allows the people to vote on any increases over 3% ? I know, we'll call it an "unfunded state mandate" to confuse everyone. That way, the peasants will think they're fighting Big Government by restricting their own right to vote. Brilliant!
"How much will it go up when the NE develpment of + 11 students arrive?"
When all 4 quadrants are developed, expect up to 400 more students. Thank the P&Z members who approved the mall and residential for not using some basic logic to figure out a realistic estimate of how many more students to expect and you can also thank Mr. Florio for not questioning W/S's lowball estimate and also for not bothering to show up at the P&Z where he could be questioned by the public.
Increases should not exceed inflation.
It's time the board started to figure out how to reduce the costs.
We must return to the original intent of the framers when it comes to our federal government
Ron Paul is the only candidate who is talking about this.
We should be getting rid of all these unfunded mandates that come from the state and federal govet
By gad if we don't speak out we will be just like another European country
Call for an investigation soon!
right, Matt, and we should abolish elections altogether and declare you councilman-for-life....with too much time on his hands.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people
9:42 agreed. That seems pretty straightforward to me... unless you believe the "general welfare" clause trumps the 10th amendment.
Great comments on the blog but howmany will show up at the public hearing on the budget and give their name and repeat what they say here under anonymous????
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