School Budget Vote Realities

In reply to Aaron Stern’s letter published in the Gazette on June 6th, it seems that now the FOPs (Friends of Paul) have taken to a new tactic.  Now that their “plan” has shown to be without any merit, they have switched gears (again) to say that the district should use reserves (vs. cutting any expenses). 

Before I address the specifics: Mr. Stern, you make sweeping, unsupported statements. Your approach is doing a disservice to the community and our children.  Your inability to collaborate is disconcerting.  Let me remind you, that it is the responsibility of the Board to make policy and set the financial approach for the district.

Now for some specifics:  Mr. Stern believes that he knows more than the highly experienced tax attorney hired by the district to litigate tax certiorari claims.   This attorney establishes the amount of the reserve, which is then reviewed by the accounting firm who provides the audit opinion for the district’s financial statements.   And even if the BOE would drain the reserves (as imprudent and reckless as that would be), where does this leave you for next year?  At some point, when the reserves have been spent, the district would still have to make tough choices.  

Mr. Stern also brings up the $700,000 in additional funds that is needed for the fields’ remediation.  It is UNBUDGETED and NOT RESERVED and is a risk to the district’s budget.  The board was clear that it did not want to burden the district with long-term debt.  Mr. Stern and Mr. Wasserman’s alternative is to load the district up with debt. 

Mr. Stern also asserts that the current Board knew about Mr. Miller’s statement about an additional $100,000 from the administration portion of the budget,.  Again, is just that, another assertion and another opportunity to make statements that are unfounded and provide an excuse for a cheap shot at the BOE. 

If anyone has “hubris”, it is the Wasserman band of merry supporters that write letters to the community claiming to be the experts in these budget matters and on any topic they decide to pontificate on.