Next Eddington Selectmen's Meeting - Tuesday, May 5 @ 6pm - Eddington Town Office
SAD63 Citizens' Advisory Meeting (Anyone can attend - give your input to the upcoming 2009-10 school budget) - Tuesday, May 5 @ 3pm - Holbrook School - Conference Room
SAD63 Budget & Finance Committee Meeting - Wednesday, May 6 @ 4:45pm- Holbrook School (probably the Conference Room). Public can attend (and should). You can ask questions.
Eddington Planning Board - Workshop Session for Shoreland Zoning Map - Tuesday, May 12 @ 6:30pm (This meeting is important to insure the map being developed - which will be forwarded to the State as a future frame of reference - is accurate according to US.)
SAD63 Public Hearing on Proposed 2009-10 School Budget - Wednesday, May 13 @ 7pm - Holbrook School
SAD63 Annual Budget Meeting - Thursday, June 4, @ 7pm - Holbrook School
SAD63 School Budget Validation Referendum - Tuesday, June 9,- 8am-8pm at Eddington Town Office; 8am-8pm at Clifton Town Office; and 7am-8pm at Holden Town Office
The SAD63 budget must pass at BOTH the Annual Budget Meeting on June 4th and the Validation Referendum on June 9 in order for the budget to be validated.
Because of the current litigation in progress and the questionable status of state funding for education, it is particularly important that taxpayers (as well as parents and teachers) attend the Public Hearing on the proposed budget where questions are asked and budget issues can be raised. Your vote can only be informed IF you have relevant FACTS - not rumors.
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It seems that this maverick board is trying to divert attention from their irresponsible and reckless actions to employees such as the business manager and Ms Regan without addressing the real issues of costs of litigation and when and how are they going to end this fiasco. The bonus issue is not relevant because it would have been a budget line item and subject to full board approval. Based on this board recent comments about bonuses perhaps the new budget could be printed in brail for those who cannot read particulary when it involves public monies.To sum it up the actions of empoyees as it relates to the budget are subject to submmision to the board for approvaland thus they are putting up smoke screens to cover their ill-advised litigation efforts to fire the former superintendant without clearly explaining their reasoning. This board has gotten the community into the soup and is going to get hotter and for expensive as this process plays out. In hindsight it seems that it would have been less expensive and LESS TAXING on the community to either buy out Ms Regans contract or not renew her contract at its expiration.
ReplyDeleteYou have some valid points, however - there are NO line items in the budget for bonuses, nor are individual positions (and their salaries, benefits, etc.) identified which is an issue which I intend to discuss in tomorrow's blog (along with a lot more). Perhaps this is because the budget is developed BY the Business Manager in the format she and Ms Regans wanted (which conveniently would have kept a lot of information out of the hands and away from the eyes of the taxpayers).
ReplyDeleteI do have some issues with this School Board and the way they have delegated (or avoided) responsibilities to the superintendent's office - but the more I have talked with people (not on the board, although I have talked with some because one needs to be objective when searching out information) the more I am beginning to wonder if we, the taxpayers, would have actually been given or discovered the facts if we hadn't had to go through this "mess".
You are right in that employees (and that includes the superintendent and the business manager) SHOULD have to submit documents to the School Board for approval. The problem is that a lot of documents either weren't submitted - or - the board didn't carefully review them. Now maybe the board was too trusting or members of the board took the attitude that someone else (on the board) was doing the work that each and every one of them is expected and elected to do. But that's the problem. Too many people are elected to positions (school boards and boards of selectmen) who are not really qualified for the positions) and too many voters don't vote - or vote for people they know as neighbors but not because of any real qualifications. I'm told one current school board member was elected with a total of TWO votes. Not a majority of two votes - only two votes cast. You can't fault her. Fault the voters who don't mandate a Candidates Night and who don't show up and ask questions of the Candidates and who don't vote period.
More budget issues and data tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and writing.
R.