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Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

I take it that the Mayor won't be 'introducing you' at this year's 4th concert! [:)]

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

Budget charade continues tonight
Budget charade continues tonight in the chambers and on MMTV. Deep pretend concern by the school committee members about the reduction of 3 directors and how it will impact the students. Get ready for budget Override 2.0 in the near future; believe me its in the works. We've seen this before. Scare the MEF and all the mommies of younger kids into voting yes. Be ready.


The same result would occur, if an Override 2.0 were attempted. It would fail in another landslide. The budget is a charade in every department in Melrose. True costs are never revealed and the facts and figures are hidden, manipulated and denied. Once a reputation is lost, it is very difficult to restore trust or confidence...almost never happens.

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

Same Old Story: No on the Override
Budget charade continues tonight
Budget charade continues tonight in the chambers and on MMTV. Deep pretend concern by the school committee members about the reduction of 3 directors and how it will impact the students. Get ready for budget Override 2.0 in the near future; believe me its in the works. We've seen this before. Scare the MEF and all the mommies of younger kids into voting yes. Be ready.


The same result would occur, if an Override 2.0 were attempted. It would fail in another landslide. The budget is a charade in every department in Melrose. True costs are never revealed and the facts and figures are hidden, manipulated and denied. Once a reputation is lost, it is very difficult to restore trust or confidence...almost never happens.


An excellent example of the city administration of hiding costs is the water enterprise account in which the Mayor has been adding unrelated indirect costs to this account for about the last 3 years - to avoid prop 2.5 law. I'm sure this is going on with countless other city accounts. How do we end up having a 3.5 million surplus and yet crying poor mouth? It doesn't figure - unless we are not being told about the real costs. No one is going to vote for an override until we have some honest accounting and some honest challenging of the numbers by the BOA. But please - don't hold you breath on that one - Medeiros is in the minority - not even Conn has much stomach for that fight.

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

MFD
That $50,000 they found to eliminate the fees was found in one of the Mayor's rabbit hats - he has a bunch of them just waiting for another such moment!
Something tells me the universal fee wouldn't have passed legal muster and that's why they dropped it. At the very least you'd have to have a defined program for the free lunch students. If challenged, public statements such "the numbers haven't been run for the optimal amount" of fees wouldn't look good to a court or arbitrator. You can't just randomly assign universal fees to public school students.

If they did a little extra work, they would have gotten away with it. Same as the so-called level budget. Call it something else. The SC chair is usually so good with the double speak euphemisms.

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

All you MEFers and pro-tax people can still donate though.I'm sure your $35 won't be turned down. You could create an optional donation fund.

Is the idea less appealing now that the kids that don't utilize the school's extra-curriculars don't have to pay?

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

Hello Melrosians how are all of you doing? I can't hep but read the board and so many things have happened, I'll quote the mayor, "I want the override but I don't need it"Things are not the same at this time may.

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

Wow.

Re: Draft FY17 School Budget - Same Old Story

Free Press: Dolan said – as he has repeatedly – that while he will continue to look for additional funding, increased taxes are the only long-term solution to improve the schools.

“The only way to achieve the goals that we have set out is increased revenue through additional taxation,” Dolan said. “Just because [the property tax override] lost at the ballot doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

This knucklehead just doesn't get it, does he?

Listen up, Mr. Mayor - putting your own house in order is your number 1 priority. Until you do that, no matter how many times you say more tax revenue is necessary, it's not going to happen. Exactly what part of that do you so foolishly and stubbornly not get? Stop stamping your foot like a spoiled brat and do the job you were elected to do.