Massive cut in next year’s school budget announced last night, may be news to the Barnstable School Committee and Town Council, but not to COGgers….
Last night the Barnstable School Committee reported the F/Y10 school budget will face $4.9 million in cuts because the town's Free Cash account balance is ZERO.
A Power Point presentation by School Superintendent, Patty Grenier delineating the $4.9 million shortfall in the school budget, did not include teacher salary increases because next year’s teacher’s union contract has yet to be negotiated.
The school committee adjourned into executive session to discuss strategies for the union contract.
Since teacher salaries make up 80% of the school budget, every 1% increase represents an additional $600,000 ADDED TO THE DEFICIT.
Grenier’s predictions also assumed the $1 million turned over to the school committee this year to finance all-day kindergarten and school busing program, but subsequently dropped, will remain intact and rolled over to next year.
In reality the $600,000 in increase in fuel and energy costs in the F/Y09 budget will take a big bit out of this year's million dollar surplus.
Grenier’s projection also did not factor the impacts of the $1 billion deficit in the state budget announced Monday by Senate President, Therese Murray.
The school committee should prepare itself for even more draconian cuts if recent history is repeated.
In 1990 Governor Weld borrowed $14 billion to pay-off Governor Dukakis’s deficit that was amortized through reductions in state aid.
Local aid cuts aren't the same for all cities and towns, especially for those that have super large EQV's like Barnstable.
For example in F/Y91 Barnstable’s Chapter 70 aid was $1,156,980
a cut of 98.4%
If there are to be cuts in Chapter 70, Barnstable’s $7.4 million in Chapter 70 aid will be cut egregiously and disproportionately because of the town's $15 billion in assessed property values.
Soon you'll understand why we've been demanding the Assessor to accurately assess residential properties; the town's EQV could drop to $10 million if the Assessor did his job.
Beacon Hill will opine Barnstable can make up any shortfalls with little effort because of its wealth, and could cut Chapter 70 aid by $3 to $4 million.
COG is now predicting a $6.5 to $8 million shortfall in the F/Y09 school budget.
As expected school committee members Ralph Cahoon and Tommy MacDonald attributed the shortfalls to the “economy,”
I predicted the shortfall one year ago after the town council agreed to finance the F/Y08 school budget with $2.8 million from cash reserves, and again in the spring when the council gave the school committee another $4 million from free cash.
COG's pick for school committee last November, Tom Dolby, made the same predictions, but was scoffed at by Tommy MacDonald.
Dolby forced the shortfall issue at last night's school committee meeting during public comment, that lead to the validation by Patty Grenier.
The school committee is guilty of wasteful spending policies,
During the last four years the council gave the school committee $12 million from its cash reserves while it funded municipal operations with $8 million more from free cash.
On July 1st, 2007 the last time Barnstable’s free cash was certified by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue the amount was
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
The real blame for this mess belongs to Council President, Janet Joakim, because it was she who gave the town's cash reserves to the school committee.
I've been criticized for being too harsh on Janet, John Klimm, and the Barnstable Town Coucil, so I'm going to put it this way;
What would be your opinion of him if he told you he was broke?
Exu u u u u z e Me!
COG has written scores of posts criticizing the council for its wasteful spending practices for the last 2 1/2 years.
expect 50 teachers to be laid off.
the school district will lay off 150 teachers.
DON'T BELIEVE FOR ONE SECOND ANY CLAIMS THE SHORTFALL IS THE RESULT OF THE "ECONOMY", BECAUSE WASTEFUL SPENDING PRACTICES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2004.
CHECK OUT PRIOR POSTS IN COG ARCHIVES.
Expect 100 municipal workers to be laid off as well even fewer municipal services.
Expect the town council to ask for an override that could add $.70 to the tax rate.
COG’s answer to the override is; “NO WAY”,
When I started this blog in 2005 the council was warned an override would be needed, and its chances greatly enhanced if the council adopted the
the residential exemption,
and the Kmart mall lease revenue was credited to the general fund.
the fiscal crisis can easily be resolved,
but only after taxpayer's demands are met.
Or face disaster tomorrow…
If you live in Precinct 6, whatever you do on October 30th, make sure you get out to Marstons Mills and
vote to RECALL JANET JOAKIM.
Wow GREAT post Gary...so we have $17mil 'missing'?? This is a crime beyond comprehension. Joakim and Klimm - better get legal council. wow the utter gross mismngt is stunning
As for the assessor and the across the board 30-50% over assesments.....we hears he will go to the unemployment line soon
Vote to get rid of Janet on 10/30!! Keep up the good work Gary, John and Taryn and all CoGgers who want to save Barnstable
Ps - Has anyone been following Kellers golf exploits...the millionaire from Oyster Harbors plays golf at fancy mga events while you all work for a living....and he almost took $250k of our money! Good job coggers getting that stopped!!!
Posted by: An Opinion from Boston | October 01, 2008 at 07:32 AM
How do you spell SPENDAHOLICS?
How do you spell WASTAHOLICS?
How do you spell ASSWIPES?
How do you spell MAJOR ASSWIPES?!
HOW MANY TIMES over the last THREE plus years have we called these MORONS spendaholics and WASTAHOLIC?!
JOHN KLIMM SHOULD BEFIRED!'
Janet Joakim is a MORON and the biggest idiot our town has ever seen. recall her.
John Klimm couldn't run the animal control officer's job in ant town, LET alone any Manager of any town!
The school Superintendent here makes $ 180,000 a YERA!!!! I said ONE HUNDRED
and EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS a year. She is NOT WORTH $ 45K!!!! Let alone 180K a year. And then the ASSWIPES have a WASTE of a FULL TIME LAWYER who must make $ 100K himself a year too!
Everyone needs to read page 3 of the Times there today. See the "quotes from three of the town's BIGGEST MORONS: John Klimm, mr. Mamager is quoted. John does not want to lose his "bond rating" Imagine this asswipe only now just caring about the "bond rating" This guy has NO CLUE, NONE! John Klimm, go tell this to MANY people who will lose their jobs SOON!
next, the queen of asswipes, Janet Joakim. The woman has even LESS of a clue than Klimm does. Duh. Duh
And then we have another JERK, major asswipe Jim Munafo. Big knowitall Jim Munafo tossed in his two cents.
Read the article. These asswipes drove us right where we have told everyone they would-- down the road to bankruptcy.
This town needs:
1. An entire NEW COUNCIL!
2. An ELECTED MAYOR!
3. A BRAND NEW SCHOOL COMMITTEE!
4. A new SCHOOL SUPERINTENDANT, and NO ONE should ever be paid $ 180K in this town for ANYTHING!!!
Sad to say but we told you so!
Last, notice how the asswipe manager Klimm said he does NOT recommend any OVERRIDE?!
Master klimm, I know how great of a politician you are. The ONLY reason he said that is because he STILL thinks that IF the town goes to an elected Mayor, he might have a chance, and IF he were to suggest any override, it might hurt his chances. I have news for you Joh Klimm:
YOU HAVE NO CHANCES!
Nor does ANY OVERRIDE!
And the ONLY reason Klimm said that is because he KNOWS JOAKIM or some other MORON will propose an OVERRIDE! let them try. I can't wait!
Gary, thank you as always for pring the truth. Quite honestly the only reason the Times printed their story is because they had no choice. gary and Tom Dolby knew about this now for MONTHS!!
And it's nice to know the town works well together. Since Tom Dolby went in and got the INFO from the town finance director, he naturally told the 180K per year Superintendent and this was the ONLY reason that they even had their "presentation" even ready. Otherwise, had Tom not gone in there last night, does ANYONE here really think that ANY "presentation" would have been made? I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT!
Sure, $ 5 or 7 MIL short? Yeah, let's NOT disclose this. Let's NOT tell anyone. When we need money, we'll tell the taxpayers to go pick the money NEEDED off their money trees!
Sorry to all the asswipes, but right now, the taxpayer's money iis like (fish), cod. THERE AIN'T NONE!
The town official ASSWIPES WASTED IT ALL!
So Master Klimm, WHAT happened to your bull#### "All american GARBAGE? Where did the AAA bond rating go?
The town manager is in dreamland and should be fired. And we should RECALL the entire council.
Good day.
Posted by: John Julius | October 01, 2008 at 08:09 AM
Joe Keller's $250,000 gift is on the agenda tomorrow night, but will be withdrawn.
There are plenty of other give-away items on the agenda,but I would hope that at least one of the councilors would call Rick Kinglsy, of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to learn that CPA funds will be cut 35% this year, and a whole lot more next year because 14 more communities will join, and home sales on the decline.
Posted by: | October 01, 2008 at 08:23 AM
Gee Gary, seems funny that Janet Joakim NEVER logs in here to say much in times like these when things like this get "exposed"
And like I said, NONE of this ever would have been EXPOSED if Tom Dolby had NOT gone to the town Finance Director last week/
I have some news for folks. To the MANY GOOD HONEST HARDWORKING PEOPLE in this town who will lose their jobs:
COME JOIN US here in Ciatizens for OPEN Government. We welcome you all to HELP us get RID of the MORONS like John Klimm, Janet Joakim and many other HACKS! Until and unless we ever do, THINGS will never change!
Hate to say, "WE TOLD YOU SO"
But \
WE DID!
Tell 20 of your friends about this site today
capecog.com
We are what we SAY we are!
CITIZENS FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT
Thank you Gary Lopez, and
also ERIC SCHWAAB!!
Posted by: John Julius | October 01, 2008 at 12:41 PM
The on going fiscal mis management in this town continues. It will never stop until there is accountability at the top.
This form of government provides no point person.
Everyone can point to the other guy--he did it, they did it!
We need a mayor. We need accountibility. We need someone who will do what the voters want done.
The reckless spending and hiring in this town has been out of controll.
The vision of the council is short sighted. When COG pointed out long term problems it fell on deaf ears. These people can't see past the next quarter.
Posted by: | October 01, 2008 at 01:14 PM