On Monday September 28, 2009, we entered a whole new era with our beleaguered school board. Now when a citizen uses their 3 minutes of "presentation time" to ask the school board a question, the board --in the form of prezident John E. Whalen-- declared that this is time for presentations...not questions. And the board doesn't have to answer questions.Gulp. Hello! ELECTED officials! ELECTED to serve the people? So much for community engagement. Oh...that's right, the board seems to have slid that way past the back burner...in fact off the range and onto the floor.
Maybe this was Whalen's way of pleading the 5th, since the question posed by resident Rick Mealy was one of those questions where the board was kind of painted in a corner. But WE didn't paint that corner. THE BOARD did the painting. All Mealy did was point it out.
The question concerns shenanigans regarding use of the sacred fund balance to pay the cost of issuing bonds for the new high school. Why isn't that coming our of the high school project fund? We'll let you answer that after you see the lead up to the question.
Is the $96M high school project already over-budget?
In our last episode, you all voted unanimously (minus Mr. McCourt who was in absentia) to pay $183,060, the cost of issuing the final construction bonds, out of the “rainy day fund (fund balance) instead of paying for it from the high school construction account. Hopefully Mr. Shimek now recalls that he not only voted in favor of this, but he made the motion as well, even though he told me he voiced opposition to it.
As a result, we now have a negative budget for 2009-10. The projected Expenditures exceed projected Revenues by exactly $183,060. What kind of budget plans for a shortfall? Who budgets to lose money?
Mr. Frei indicates that this is the first time you’ve done this despite the fact that we’ve incurred similar (or greater) costs twice previously in procuring the first $67M.
So…I’m wondering…why take it from the rainy day fund now? Especially when you voted against a motion to take $50,000 out of the rainy day fund to fully fund the schools. But we’ll get back to that.
The community voted for a referendum NOT TO EXCEED $96M. Surely, that $96M would cover a paltry $183,060, as has been done twice previously.
Or could it be that you’ve exhausted the project contingency fund, are in danger of exceeding the total project budget, are in danger of exceeding the approved referendum limit, and are reluctant to tell the community so?
We’re interested in hearing your side of the issue…so please…enlighten us. Why take the $183K from fund balance instead of the high school construction fund?
- Rick Mealy 9-28-09
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