I just found this online concerning the results of the BudComm races in our little hamlet – Forewarned is Forearmed?
I find it interesting that the Progressive folks who have managed to take one-third of the seats in our little town’s Budget Committee now believe that they control the purse strings and will be dictating to the other 8 members how we’re all going to be voting to greatly increase spending (and taxes), particularly on the school side of the budget.
I think they’re going to find that it isn’t that easy and that the voters aren’t as stupid as they think they are. If they propose large spending increases I believe they’ll find the proposed budgets will be voted down because with few exceptions, no one wants to see their tax bills increase by between 5 and 8 percent. (Mind you, this conclusion about the increased taxes is based upon rumor and innuendo, but I have also heard first hand one new member has stated their intentions to increase spending, specifically school spending even though our student population has shrunk by over 10% to date and continues to do so.)
The budget season this coming fall is going to be ‘interesting’ to say the least. Here’s hoping that reality will reassert itself and these new members will come to realize they aren’t going to get what they want…but I ain’t holding my breath.
It shall be interesting. All four of them are “schoolies” – most are drawing paychecks directly from town/school or are related to those that do. This is NOT about the children – they’ve left just like they are all over the State – yet the adults keep demanding more and more and more. Here’s the chart that the writer spoke of – and it’s worse than remembered:
Our enrollment is down over 13% in 9 years – yet the budget keeps going up and up. Why?
Frankly, the School Board keeps their student/teacher ratios artificially lower than required costing taxpayers, off the cuff estimate, at least $500K to $1 million a year, IMHO.
However, I am quite sure that we’ll hear that “rally cry” of “the enrollment is down but the needs are up!” (H/T: two union hacks in my town, who scurried away quickly when they realized who had heard that retort when something was said during a Town Meeting a few years ago – don’t worry ladies, I know who you are).