Not from the BOE Meeting: The new voting machines we will be getting aren’t going to cost us anything – per se. The state will be getting the machines to us soon – some time in the late spring, if I remember correctly. The ‘interesting’ thing about these new machines (after a lot of whoopla about how much money they will save us) is that they use special paper forms that are only available from one vendor. Also, for every election we have to order special software (my non-techinical term) for the selections. The software for simple yes/no election questions like referenda will run about $400 (and we’ll be able to use the same software for all yes/no elections) but all the other elections will need special software which will be an added expense. Apparently, the paper forms run in the neighborhood of $.30 ea., with complicated ballots needing two, sometimes, three forms (or upwards of $.90 each voter). At this point in time, we are only required to use the new voting machines on the federal elections (the next in November 2008), but I have full faith in our legislators determining the we should use them in every election.
So, I’m hoping to get more information about the cost involved before the Town Meeting scheduled for the 20th. I know that some feel the meetings are somewhat antiquated, but I don’t. I’ve voted by machine on every election since I turned eighteen until we moved here in 1996. I’ve never felt more “included� in the process than I have at Town Meeting. Even if I didn’t speak or ask questions, it is simply the only real and tangible democratic experience of any substance I have had. It is much too easy to pull a lever, any lever. It requires no investment of time or curiosity, not to mention, no information other than the date the election is held. It requires one to use only their personal perspective and suppositions to judge the matters. In Town Meeting, the matter can be weighed, considered and completely exposed. You won’t find that in a voting booth. Because none of us can be an expert in all areas, Town Meeting affords us the opportunity to hear from those who by nature or experience have a clearer understanding of the matter before the assembly. I am a firm believer of requiring a sensible explanation from experts and find that, in asking questions, I can usually determine who is pulling their weight and who is pulling my leg. This is especially important, in my view, in a town that is going through the growing pains Woodstock is. If we are to find any common ground we have to understand each other’s issues and experiences. You won’t find that in a voting booth. Becki Leavitt
From the February 8, 2007 Regular Board of Education Meeting
• A first glance at the Governor’s newly released budget – the state will increase the ECS (Educational Cost Sharing) grant funding to the towns with an increase of 18% or $1.6 billion or at least 3% increase to each town. Should the budget be approved without rearrangement, we could expect an increase of perhaps, $140,000(my calculation based on the educational Block Grant cited in the 06/07 budget). Of course, this is still all speculation. I suppose the upshot is that there is at least the glimmer of hope that revenues will increase. However, keep in mind, the Board of Finance sets the allocations of the budget. The ECS grant revenues may increase, but the BOF is not required to allocate that increase specifically to the education budget.
• Woodstock Academy’s Board of Finance voted to increase the tuition rate 4.99% for the 2007/08 school year. The budget will be presented to the full Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Feb. 13th if you are interested in attending. The shake out on the numbers, if they stand, work out to $10,326 ($9,550 + $477[4.99%] + 299 construction costs). The Superintendent’s office used a 5% increase as a target in his preliminary calculations – so, there’ll be an adjustment to the working budget already.
• The big overall numbers are a 10.09% increase from $14,139,224 to $15,565,764. Obviously, this is a working figure and will change as we get closer and closer to the formal budget presentation in the spring.
Becki Leavitt
So, like last year, in May the Board of Ed will present a budget showing the increase required just to maintain existing programs. Half of that increase will be the Academy tuition increase. (Insert much public squelching here.) Then, the Board of Ed will get no relief or even consideration from the Board of Finance. The Academy will get the funds they requested, and the Board of Ed will be forced to make more cuts.
As Yogi Berra so aptly put it – “Its like Deja Vu all over again!”
What are the options ? Do we let our infrastructure collapse? Do we let our K-8 collapse? Do we bring the Academy down with us? Do we hope for more state funding? What if Rell’s proposal isn’t enough? What will the fallback be for the town whos’ citizens will have an increase in income tax? How will this increase in income tax affect the taxpayer’s willingness to support further taxation by repealing Prop 46 or passing a bonding measure? Can cuts in our government budget offset the rising costs of education? Let’s see, I can easliy cut $178,000 from the fire protection budget and 58,000 from the public health, recreation, and welfare budget. That is a total of 238,000 in savings. If we want to save some more money, lets get rid of the 3 town libraries (East, West, and North). The academy is planning to expand Bracken and that is all we really need. The total library budget is $50,500.00 a year. I personally love all three of those libraries, but realistically, in this day and age of the internet and public transportation, we could use that money for something else. A town this size only needs one library. But regardless of closing the libraries, $238,000 could easily be saved through cuts in the fire protection and welfare/Rec. budgets. Anyone who has ever carefully looked at these budgets knows that these two areas could be easliy cut without compromising any town services, but (and its a big but), whether or not our BOF, who for political reasons, will ever touch these budgets (particularly the fire budget) is the real question?
Taxpayer, there are three mannors involved with the three Libraries, and each has their own Lord or Lady at the embattlements. Ernie Wetzel suggested one Library a long time ago and was almost lynched. Build a new library? FOOLISH- no money. The others shut down and kick in their books and resources to aid Bracken- maybe a good idea. But again, what about the “librarians”
They could teach “Classes For The Clueless”.
Taxpayer, you are correct. The Fire budget is HUGE in proportion to the Town,the Equipment we already have and in comparison to other like towns. The line item “new Equipment fund” to the tune of $117,000.00 is outrageous. That is what has been refered to as the “savings account”. If they need equipment, perhaps it should go before a Town meeting, just as everything else does. How the Fire budget ever originated with this breakdown is beyond me. Take care of the Firemen yes, allow the fire department to literally STASH over one hundred thousand dollars every year is ludicrous.
Let me also say, that the $117,000 is in ADDITION to the several hundred thousand already allotted in the “Fire” budget. $117,000 is only for “new” equipment. Its only ONE line item.
Yes laborer it is just one item. For those that don’t have the budget handy, some of the other items include:
Pager replacement (yearly): $6000
Personal protection equipment (yearly): $16,508
Capital improvements (yearly): $27,600
Apparatus payments: $26, 964
New Apparatus funds: 117,000
New equipment (non-apparatus): $39,158
Apparatus maintainance: $20,770
Apparatus Refurbishment: $6,400
Building Maintainance: $7,500
Equipment maintainance: $3510
So, just a quick glance and many questions should come to a taxpayers mind:
1) Capital improvement? Why wasn’t this on the separate capital improvement proposal as everything else was?
2) Why is there apparatus payments while we have a new apparatus fund? Maybe we should pay off the old payments before we by new toys?
3) Why do we have a new apparatus fund and a apparatus maintainance fund and a apparatus refurbishment fund?
4) Why are pagers and personal protection equipment purchased earlier?
5) Are the costs for these items competetive? In other words where and whom are we buying the equipment from and who and how is it being refurbished?
Let me note that perhaps there are good answers to these questions, however, as taxpayers we have the right to ask them.
Next, take a look at some of the items from the Public health, recreation, and welfare budget:
Recreation Camp Nahaco: 6732
Recreation Senior Citizens: 1000
Recreation Special Citizens: 1200
Recreation Town Beach: 11,014
Recreation committee: 14,450
Recreation field maintainance: 5000
Day Kimball Homecare: 5000
United Services: 3000
Youth services: 3000
NE District Dept. of health:27,882
Sexual Assault Crisis Center: 750
Municipal/Elderly: 1400
TVCCA Elderly Nutrition program: 1274
Libraries: 50,500
Beautification committee: 1200
Arboretum Committee: 2875
TEEG Senior Services Program: 5000
Dial-a-ride: 10,000
Last I remembered, recreation was a luxury. These costs could be easily placed upon those who utilize them. Ever hear of “Beach Stickers”? I hope the soccer moms who opposed pay for play sports at the schools see this…OK to pay for school sports, but recreation for everyone else is subsidized!.
3 Things:
1. Why is the title of the article “Board of Education – more than you will find in the minutes & other issues”??? What do the voting machines have to do with the board of ed minutes? (thanks Kiddinunot, we’ll change the title, Admin)
2. Why has no one provided an actual breakdown of the Board of Ed’s first draft (budget)? And, discuss the proposed items of THAT?
3. I don’t mind, in fact, I welcome the discussion re other town expenditures. I’m just curious as to why no one “questions” the spending proposed? Nor the spending that has been done by the Board of Ed (via superintendent)? Does it not require the same scrutiny as other Town expenditures?
I welcome comments/discussion.
Hey Kidinunot, Schultzee and his group of lobotomy candidates have been scrutinizing the BOE budget for years. That budget is broken down to the CRAYON. While CPS screams that they want plenty of referendums to the tune of $4,000.00 a pop, Frank Baran and his staff COUNT CRAYONS and answer Freedom of Information requests. You obviously have never looked at the school budget.
My first reaction was to respond in kind.
As my intention was to get a “serious” dialogue going, I won’t go with my first reaction.
I have reviewed the education budgets, not to mention focused on specific expenditures. In doing so, I have found things that I can question. I question other town spending, as well. In my opinion, any right-minded person would want to be knowledgeable regarding ALL town spending.
As for “counting crayons”, I find this a ridiculous & inaccurate statement. I am unaware of who Schultzee and/or “lobotomy candidates” are but, my guess is that they disagree with you.
I did not post here to become involved in petty, personal agendas & politics. My intention was (and is) to be involved in a community discussion…one that is thought-provoking and geared towards actually addressing the FACTS.
If there are not other like-minded individuals posting in this forum, I imagine that my visit here will be brief, indeed.
Kidd, I think that there is not a line item analysis/scrutinization done by the BOF when the budget is approved. The budget planning meetings(front page) seem to be the place where budgets are requested and it seems to me that whatever anyone asks for they get, except the schools. Education is the largest budget in the town so an easy target to question. The problem is, it is much harder to scrutinize than the other budgets. Certainly the BOF or the BOE or Chuckles for that matter do not have the background to understand all the facets of education that the superindentant does. So we have to put our trust in the Superintendant and realize too that we are in the bottom 3% for education in the state. The majority of education funds come from property taxes and with Prop 46 there is a cap. My argument is that we can get an additional $238,000 from the government budget and we should be fighting for increased state funding. Others here will argue that the Academy is cheating us out of money. You see, we pay the academy a set tuition that they more or less mandate. what they do with that money has not been up for discussion. Some of that money is being used to expand athletic programs and many here feel that it is unethical to do that when K-8 is suffering. Don’t give up on this site, it has a lot to offer despite the occassional political bantering which is actually kind of fun except when the name calling begins.
Kidd*, You may want to review the budget discussions in articles published in March, April, and May of last year to understand the history of some of the things being talked about here now.
Kidd – Welcome! The discussion here is serious, but personalities will flavor individual comments. We do try to work more on the ideas presented and less on the presenters, but that being said, most of us have developed thick hides. You indicated that you have reviewed the education budget and have questions. Let’s discuss those. Can you provide some examples? I know I’d be interested and I’m sure others would be as well.
Thank you for the welcome. Unfortunately, I have been too busy to get back here to respond until today.
I do have some particulars that I would like to discuss regarding the school budget/spending practices. However, it is lengthy with “minutes excerpts” and “not in the minutes” additions…and I would like to submit it but want to make sure that it will be “seen” for discussion (and not hidden in an old thread).
If you could advise me how to do this, I would appreciate the assistance. (We encourage your submission. Admin)