Which of those groups deserve to have their budgets cut so yours can be increased?
Letter to the Editor from Mike Appleton.
I would like to first thank the BOF for its tireless and largely unappreciated efforts this year. On Monday, it was quite clear that roughly 50% of the Town was in favor of your proposed budget. Of the 50% opposed, roughly 2/3 of the voters, (120 people) felt the budget was too high in this difficult economic year. So of the 360 votes cast, (rough math), 300 of the voters thought the budget was acceptable or too high and the remaining 60 people (fewer than 20%) found it to be too low.
I think it is extremely unfair of the BOE, at this unprecedented time, to take the amount of money that they deemed fit, spread it out over the next three years in the form of raises for teachers and administration and then complain that not enough money is left for the kids. Why weren’t the programs they threaten to eliminate funded first and then the remainder given as raises? The BOF acted in good faith and met the demands of no teacher layoffs and no increases in class sizes only to be told now that that is not enough. My understanding is that if the $50K is added back to the BOE budget, funding will be cut from 1) Senior Center, 2) Library, 3) Food bank, 4) Public Safety or 5) Parks and Recreation. These departments and organizations serve the needs of ALL those in the community and have been flat funded already for next year. The question to the BOE should be “Which of those groups deserve to have their budgets cut so yours can be increased and the teachers and administrators can retain their raises and job security?” While the rest of us in the private sector and state services are facing wage freezes, concessions and layoffs, I implore you to hold the line on spending and respect the wishes of the majority, not the most vocal and embittered organized few.
Michael Appleton
Marlborough
Bravo.
I hope this is running in the Rivereast on Friday!
Unfortunately, like the debt load for previously approved projects and union contracts approved last year, we are stuck with those costs. What is not a done deal is the opportunity for voluntary concessions by unionsor, if worse comes to worse, layoffs and staff reductions. If the budget fails on June 1st does anyone think that the option of asking for concessions may be put back on the table?
not a chance. @Ken Hjulstrom
The other option would be a reduction in the BOE and a forced layoff. I thought that members of the public did not want that to happen! Of course the motivation for a concession does not reside in the senior teachers who would not be threatened since the less senior union members would take the axe.
does anyone know where the 20K given to the BOE on wednesday is to be spent or is it more likely just hush money?@Ken Hjulstrom
It is hush money. Certainly they will justify it now that these types of comments are forthcoming.
How about the BOE explaining what they will do with the $60K plus that they will save by getting a part time superintendent? That’s the better question.
@Anonymous
The Question was asked by a Marlborough citizen at the end of BOF meeting during public comment. Although at least one member of the BOE was there, the question was not answered. In fairness one person can not speak for the entire board.
I counted at least 5 of 6 BOE members at that meeting – Maria Grove, John O’Toole, Mrs. Concodello, Mrs. Kelly and a woman whose name I do not know but recognize as a BOE member (she came with her 2 children). Surely those 5 members have some clue how they will spend the money after all their efforts to extort these dollars from the public.
The silence of those 5 BOE members was deafening!!
Perhaps they can lease some more copy machines with the $20k, and get that number up to $48k a year. That would be on par with the current waste in their budget.
Hush money for what?? Are you serious????
In case any of you are not aware of the entire process….it wasn’t the BOE meeting to comment at…it was the BOF’s and I am sure Cathy Gadinski would have cut them off at 2 minutes since that’s what she’s famous for. Do you REALLY think the BOE members would comment on money that they don’t even have yet! Get real!
it would be alot easier to side with the BOE if we had any idea where this $$ would be spent. the BOE chair and others members had no problem asking for more money that evening. where that proposed money was to be applied was exactly what the BOF and the public really wanted to hear. restore summer reading? MYAL? janitor?.their silence was truely deafening. but hey, who are we and how dare we question what the BOE plans to do with more of our money. just cut the check and find out later it’s used to pay for another useless legal OPINION or better yet, squandered on a year end picnic. what happened to fiscal accountability? get real is right.ITS OUR MONEY!!