To Have a Town Hall Meeting or Not

Totally failed the Vision test.

 I have had several constituents suggest a town hall meeting.  My initial reaction was "NO", I've been in so many meetings about Vision 2020 and now the Budget that seem to be getting nowhere.







But what really gets me to thinking about it is that I have come up with several ideas that, yes, I do need to allow the public to have a chance to comment to me face to face.  But it is hard to think of giving up another evening. What if only the people who show up are the ones I communicate with almost daily through emails and such or yet worse, they don't even come?

I think I give our lawyer a headache.

The one idea that I support that seems to be the most

Protesting the cuts.

troubling to some, is rolling the property taxes forward.  I know of one example where the school board did that before I was on the board.  In 2007, Superintendent Tyler suggested that the board roll the property taxes forward, but we had a fund balance of about $30,000,000, therefore, I didn't think it was necessary. So I, along with the majority of the board, opposed it. Now that we are running a $20,000,000 deficit, have laid-off 300 employees and have increased the teacher/pupil ratio to who knows what limit, I think we should roll forward the property taxes and collect $6,000,000.  But only if we can use that money to reinstate SCHOOL SITE employees, teachers, secretaries/bookkeeper, office clerks music, band and art programs.  I totally understand the argument about spending money wisely.  There are many examples of money not used to the best ends. I have written about them in several posts.  Our current budget draft is full of foolishness.  Looks like the board will adopt the budget on June 21st.  I am hopeful it will not be the most current budget draft. Then the first week in July will make the decision on the property taxes.

How I don't want them to feel.

It is hard to agree to take more money out of people's personal budgets.  But this millage was approved by voters, we just don't always collect the total amount.  One person told me that is where the school board's first mistake was. He said the School Board should always roll forward the millage and collect the needed taxes and spent it on educating the students.  Those are the best spend taxes.  But when we go back and forth, the citizens get the feeling that we are putting a tax increase on them without their approval.

Here's what it will cost taxpayers:
For the owner of a house that qualifies for the state's $75,000 homestead exemption, that 4.61-mill increase would mean the owner of a $100,000 house pays $11.53 more per year in property taxes to the board; a $150,000 home, a $38.10 increase; a $250,000 home, $80.68; a $350,000 home, $126.78. The median price of a house in the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area (Bossier, Caddo and DeSoto parishes) was $156,000 in the first quarter of this year, according to the National Association of Realtors. Senior citizens on fixed incomes can have their property assessments frozen, so they will not have an increase in their property taxes.  That is reasonable.

It's not like this isn't going to hit me hard personally.  Because I own 6 properties that will not get homestead exemption, my property tax increase is almost $300.  And it already hurts in December to write the current amount.  But I really can't decide this on what it does to me! 

I would really feel great about rolling forward the property taxes, if we had a lean, mean budget that focused on providing the best we can afford to the classroom. 

Dr. Dawkins is not listening.  We need to be louder.

So for these reasons I am considering a Town Hall meeting next week at 6:00.  It would be Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and hopefully in the auditorium at South Highlands.








Leave a comment on this, please. 
Suggestions are welcomed.

Click here to review the budget draft.  You will be disappointed in it.
http://www.boarddocs.com/la/caddo/Board.nsf/files/8HKVE87CECB2/$file/Budget%20Draft%2020110607.pdf

Waiting for a Contract

The School Board members kept checking their emails today for information about the Superintendent's contract.  I must have checked 5 times.  His contract extension was first on the agenda at the work session on March 8th.  But Vision 2020 was also and the boardroom was packed with citizens of our parish. When we came to the contract agenda item there was no information to discuss.  That's not too strange.  Anytime something is going to be controversial we don't get the information to read carefully and discuss.  So when we came to the voting meeting on March 22nd the contract was no longer on the agenda.  There had been an intense public outcry about Vision 2020 and the bad shape our budget is in--like $20 million in the red.  The board room was packed again.

This is very bad timing to discuss the Superintendent's contract in any favorable manner.  Does he want an increase in salary? When he has recommended that we freeze all other employees salaries, including the little increment that teachers' get for another year of experience? Employees have not gotten a raise in the 3 years he has been here. What extra benefits does he want?

The extension of his contract was put on the work session agenda again, April 5th, with no information.  Today at 5:30 pm all board members got an e-mail for the Superintendent saying to get in touch with our attorney for information about his contract.  We have been told that we must vote for or against his contract extension at our next board meeting which is this coming Tuesday, April 19th. 

I'm just wondering if others see this as a very bad sign.  I see another haste makes waste situation.  He has put it off until it is too late for us to read it carefully, ask questions and truly think about it.  When I am backed into a corner like this, I always say NO--HELL NO.  I don't play these games.

Write a comment PLEASE.  I know the funny, interesting, and cool comments will not work this time.