STATEMENT 1:
Good evening.
Several months ago, our group asked the administration to provide us with some rough numbers regarding the potential tax impact of the upcoming budget, understanding that state aid was an unknown. We have been told that the best we can hope in terms of state aid is to receive the same amount we received last year or the “hold harmless” amount, but that we could get less because of our current economic crisis.
Here is what we do know, in round numbers. Last year's tax levy was approximately $68,000,000. In the upcoming budget year, we have certain fixed contractual costs, including salary increases and health benefits costs. We asked the administration, if given those fixed costs, we could support the district by the 4% cap over last year's levy and we were told “no.” All indications are that the upcoming budget will hit the 4% cap – our worst case scenario.
So, applying 4% to the $68,000,000 levy last year, we are looking at an additional levy of approximately $2.72 million this year for a total tax levy of roughly $70-72,000,000.
What we don't know and won't know until sometime in the late spring or early summer is the certified tax base or ratables – the value of the taxable properties among which the tax levy is spread. We do agree with the administration that the certified ratables will be down from last year due to some business closings and successful tax assessment appeals.
But, even assuming a best case scenario on ratables (or using last year's certified amount), the administration has projected that we can expect the following tax increases:
on a $300,000 home, an increase from between $110-204;
on a $350,000 home, an increase from between $129-238;
on a $400,000 home, an increase from between $147-273; and
on a $450,000 home, an increase from between $165-307.
And, remember, these increases are due to the school budget alone and do not reflect any increase due to municipal services. Yes, these are rough, ballpark figures and depend an certain assumptions about what the school tax rate will increase to from last year's .999. But, the administration's tax increase projections last year as part of our successful Get Out the Vote initiative were pretty dead on, at least according to my tax bill.
If a referendum is held on March 10 or a second question presented in April asking the taxpayers to shoulder an additional $5,000,000 levy, essentially the board would be asking us to accept a nearly 12% increase in taxes (the 4% cap plus about 8% more in additional tax levy).
At the special board meeting last week where the board adopted the referendum calendar, a member of this panel stated that “It really comes down to how much the community is willing to fund to run the schools” or words to that effect. For me and my fellow TRUTH members, it really comes down to how much the Board is willing to cut from the budget, starting with items that affect the children the least before the board reaches down to those areas that affect the children the most, such as school closings.
At the November 17th Finance Committee meeting, the administration stated that the majority of the savings on account of a school closing do not come from the operational costs of the facility but rather on savings from a reduction in staff in salary and benefits. Our group has repeatedly requested a cost savings analysis, one with specific numbers based on specific scenarios, to justify the proposed closings. We were provided with the operational costs of each facility but essentially told that a further break down would be premature because we did not have a Facilities Committee report or architect's report to base any closing scenarios on. Well, we have those reports now and we have the scenarios. I am formally requesting that a cost savings break down be prepared with all due haste and presented at the next Finance Committee meeting or Board of Education meeting, whichever occurs first. The time for speculation is over. The public needs to see the savings.
When these school closing discussions began, all the community heard was that we are over adequate, meaning we are spending more money per pupil than the state says is necessary because we have too many schools for too few pupils. That was the initial rationale for a school closing – so we would not jeopardize our state funding. I personally do not recall hearing the word “adequacy” in nearly a month, except when referenced by a member of the public. We caught on to your adequacy argument and offered ideas within the adequacy model and now adequacy seems to no longer be the critical component of our budget crisis it once was. I often feel like I am caught up playing that “find the pea under the shell” game and this causes me to question the board's true intentions.
I have heard many members of the community speak on the budget crisis and closing issue and the one thing I hear repeatedly is that they believe the board has made up its mind on what it is going to do and has had its mind made up for some time now but is waiting for some unknown reason before it takes action. Many of us have the perception that you are listening to our words, but not truly hearing them because your minds are already made up.
How you respond to this sentiment?
Thank you.
STATEMENT 2:
Good Evening, I am a proud member of the Howell Truth Committee. Truth is a committee of common townspeople rooting out unnecessary tax hikes.
At the Public Forum meeting on December 2nd, this Board and Administration were given ideas by The Howell Truth Committee showing ways to make cuts and save approximately 3.5 million dollars. The proposed cuts would keep us well within the State Model and the Adequacy Model. To date, there has been no response from either the Board of Education and/or the Administration that any of the proposed cuts were being considered. I, personally, attend almost every Facilities, Finance, Community Relations and Board of Education meeting within our township and it appears that Board of Education and Administration have only discussed ways to close schools and not any alternatives.
When questioned on the proposed savings of closing a school or schools, neither the Board of Education nor the Administration were able to give the residents the exact break- down as to savings. We were told in one meeting that the savings would not be through operational cost but through salaries. Then, at a different meeting, it was explained that we would lose very little staff because the students still need to be educated some where.
So once again where is the savings?
We know that even if some staff is let go, it will be from the staff members that are at the bottom of the salary guide. This, in turn, does not add up to the big saving that residents are being led to believe which would actually be achieved through the closure of schools.
Both the Board of Education and Administration have stated that by closing one or more schools, the township will still not be in a position to lower taxes and/or bring back any of the programs that have been taken away from the students.
Recently, the Howell Truth Committee contacted the Teacher’s Union to request that negotiations be re-opened regarding contracts. The request was made that either the members take a pay freeze or provide some type of give back to get our schools and our children through these hard economic times. The Truth Committee also asked the Board of Education to reach out to the union and try to make this attempt in order to avoid the loss of any of the excellent staff of this district.
I would like to renew our request and also ask the Board of Education not only to ask the Teachers Union but to also ask the Administrators Union to re-open negotiations regarding contracts. For this District to get through the current economic times, we need some type of pay freeze or give back. This Administration needs to lead by example. These give backs and or pay freezes need to start with Dr. Golden and go all the way down the line. Also if the Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents for one year gave back their Annual buy back option of cash for their unused sick & vacation days that would be a cost savings of $156,600.00 to the district. In the contract listed on the District Web Site we can see that Dr. Golden can receive $45,000 for her unused sick leave $13,340 for her unused vacation days in cash. Mr. Massa can receive $45,000 for his unused sick leave and $13,340 for his unused vacation days in cash. Dr. Jones can receive $8,880 for her unused sick leave and $11,840 for her unused vacation days in cash. Mrs. Collandar is not listed so we are estimating she can receive $11,240 for her unused vacation days in cash, and finally Mr. Sanasac can receive $8,360 for his unused vacation days in cash.
Again giving back of these items for one year can save the district $156,600.00 this is enough to fund at least three non-tenured teaching positions.
There are so many other ways to cut the school budget without closing schools. All of our schools are vital now and will remain so in the future. Closing schools is not a viable option.
The Howell Truth Committee is requesting that the Board of Education look for other cost saving possibilities and prevent the closing of schools in our district. Please stop looking for ways to take more from our children and look for ways to keep our schools open. Closing schools will not enable the reinstatement of any programs nor would the residents get tax decreases. The disadvantages will be larger class sizes, less individualized attention, longer bus rides and much, much more. All of these things directly affect students’ test performance.
In closing, we are requesting that action be taken now as to alternative cost saving for our district not after the budget clock has run out. Please do it for our children.
Thank you.
STATEMENT 3:
I would like to bring the BOE attention back to the 2008-09 budgets. In putting the budget together you gave it a priority list.
Read the list
I would like to know how closing two schools fit into this list?
If you make bigger class room sizes, you will not improve the instruction time you will increase staff to help manage the class room witch will cost us more money in salaries witch is where the problem of the budget spending lies. You would also be increasing transportation and longer bus rides.
Technology program: Why can’t we consolidate jobs? We are paying 3 men on an average one hundred thousand dollars plus benefits to run our tech programs.
In corporate America when they down size on a team of lets say 5, 2 lose their jobs because of down sizing the other 3 take on the reasonability’s of the other 2 and they don’t get compensated they are just grateful they have a job. You need to look for ways to spread the workload out without increasing the pay roll. You are spending money in the budget that this community can’t afford any more.
After going through the budget at length we have presented to you cuts that would be reasonable and would not effect the education of our children. These are areas of over spending and we are still waiting for your answers. You yourselves at a meeting have said you have given this community every thing they have asked for. Well we are asking and quit frankly we are telling you, you need to cut the budget. But the question here is, are you listening, are you hearing what the community is saying.
When you tell us you are going to present a budget for the people to vote on that will ask for the 4% increase plus the 5million gap. We say you are not listening, you are not hearing what this community wants. You need to cut the budget and present to the community a reasonable and responsible budget that lines up with the hard economic crisis that this country, state and community is going through. Do you not know that there are people in this community that have lost their jobs and that their unemployment check would not be able to cover the Cobra health insurance that they would need to care for their families? Do you not know there are people here that have not have raises in 5 years. Do you not know that there is people that have taken pay cuts just to keep their jobs?
You might say we are upset, I say we are very disappointed and angry that you are not hearing what this community is saying. We are angry because as we have gone through the budget we see the poor stewardship of this spending. The over spending of this administration has to got change. Why should the community pay for your travel expenses? In corporate America and private business that is one of the first things they cut. This community cannot afford to carry all of your expenses. Healthcare has to got change; we cannot afford to pay your entire healthcare. People have been giving back for years. Even our government is asking for the givebacks and changes. They have finally realized this spending formula does not work. With the salaries we are paying you, you can afford to pay for it, we cannot.
You might be thinking what has this got to do with Priority for Developing the Budget list, well the professional staff and administration salaries and benefit package are all part of that budget and you need to do the hard job and cut the luxury items that you have had and line up with a responsible spending formula at this time of financial crisis.
This budget problem is not just about cutting 2 schools this is about a failed spending formula.
What this community needs is conservative spending at a time of crisis. I will say it again everyone needs to give up something here, this administration as to lead by example.
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