Turmelle on 09/10 school budget adoption
From the NHRs Luther Turmelle
The stress of allocating a $59.2 million budget that was about $2 million less than Superintendent of Schools Greg Florio asked for in January boiled over at Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting.
The board voted 6-1, with only Republican Alan Sobol opposed, to approve an allocation that includes a $75 participation fee for sports and marching band, as well as a $150 participation fee for hockey. But the meeting also yielded some hostile comments toward the Town Council, and a brief post-meeting shouting match between Florio and Republican Councilman Thomas Ruocco...
“I just want to say, ‘Nice job, Town Council,’” Massey said, adding that he felt the council should provide the board with the extra $200,000 the new low- bid transportation contract will cost the school district next year.
If the bid had come in lower, I wonder if Peter would've requested the BOE return the difference to the taxpayers?
Tim White
7 comments:
It is not surprising that this board, except Sobol, would vote to balance the budget on the backs of the parents. Shame on them. They have to go, except for Sobol, and be replaced by a board that represents not only the education system, but the taxpayers which include the commercial taxpayers who just might say they have had enough with Cheshires taxes.
Massey claims that it is the school system that has contributed to the high value of houses in Cheshire, and says that by not giving Florio what he wants will affect education and reduce realestate prices. He doesn't want to tell you that Cheshire's high taxes are causing empty nesters and commercial businesses to flee.
We don't need a Development coordinator when we don't have anything to sell, and we don't need any more age restricted developments when it is so easy to buy high quality units in other towns.
Mr Massey, the rest of the school board and definitely Florio should take a course in economics and find out that when you raise costs, Cheshire does not compete as well as a well run community.
And maybe if the current council majority didn't waste money on pool consultants & other consultants, needless costs to determine what kind of cracks our roads have, software programs, cost over runs on school projects, and over 70K extra needlessly spent on the Norton boiler project, then maybe they'd have the money to give them!
Maybe they'll take it out of the fund balance account that's holding all that extra taxpayers' money.
Let's face it, the BOE dug the hole they are in when they approved the recent teachers contract. The Council had a chance to fixed, but they cowed to the pressure of teachers union.
"they cowed to the pressure of teachers union."
It wasn't the council, it was the 5 Dems on the council who decided to give more than they had original agreed upon.
These Dems are owned by the special interests and decide how they are going to vote before the subject is even discussed. They can't be trusted. They say one thing and do something totally against the residents. It's almost like they have a Carl Rove writing the script.
The one person most responsible for the deterioration of Cheshire schools is Jeff Leake.
He will fatten his pension on the pink slips of younger teachers.
And the Free Spending Five let him do it.
The sad part of all this is that there is enough money in the budget and NOT have activity fees. The BOE except for Mr. Sobol drop the ball again. They don't do anything. A complete change is needed. The parents have their heads in the sand or don't care. What is the matter with these people? Someone must ask for accountability from the BOE and it should be the Town Council. Where are the hard questions?
I just want to say, "Nice job” Massey.
You really screwed the taxpayers with the 4.4% for the 3 year teacher contract. No sense going to arbitration, just give them everything they want and don't try to get anything back. Stick it to the parents with Florio's activity fee and then complains about the town council for it's effort to save money by going out for bid on the bus contract. Yes, sometimes you can lose when you go out for bid, but thats the right thing to do.
He's just another Dem that can't say no to the teacher's union interests, but they can attack anyone that wants excellent education at an affordable price. Education should be privatized.
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