With a 1.93% increase, the PASD administration delivered a budget which will increase area taxes by approximately $61 for homes assessed around $160,000.
This was my first attendance at a Budget Board meeting, and although this is the conclusion of many budgetary meetings, I was impressed by the obvious concern of the school district members on the impact of this lean budget.
Obvious also, is the depth of their discussions on the budgetary items as well as the countless number of hours school district members devote to their positions and their tasks.
I came away from my first meeting realizing their commitment and dedication to the public, and I commend them for their hard work, transparency, and efforts.
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3 comments:
While many teachers, administrators and other staff of those entrusted with the education of our community's children were encouraged to make cut backs, the library was granted a 3.5)% increase, nearly double the overall property tax increase.
3/5%, as I left the meeting I had the library increase in mind as part of the budget thread, and by the time I finished several errands afterwards, I completely centered the post elsewhere.
Thank you for bringing this increase to the fore.
Didn't you get the impression that some of the school board members were unhappy with the fact that a higher percentage increase was included in the "B" plan?
Was it established that the board could vote to cut the amount of the library increase at a later date?
The budget which was voted on in the less than 20 minutes allotted was the final, approved budget. Some of the board members present did not understand this - just how many was hard to say. No further reductions in the budget are allowed.
One who did understand this was Josh Gould, who had announced at the Library Board meeting that even though the consensus from the board looked like the library would get maybe a 1.36% increase, the budget which was advertised had a 3.5% increase listed as a 3.38% increase on the paper everyone was to vote on. While he mentioned this oversight to the library board he did not mention it to his fellow school board members.
Since so many rushed from the meeting to get to the graduation ceremonies, one cannot know who knew what when, or if this was very good political maneuvering. Somewhere there was a gap between what was stated at prior meetings, what was stated right before the vote and the assumptions of all those present who voted knowingly or unknowingly for the budget which fixed the millage for this budget cycle.
Paul S and Debbie D voted no on the budget, and they both were under the impression that Wednesday nights approval would allow for further discussions on reductions.
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