Selectmen Remove Possible Override, Reconsider 3-2 Budget Recommendation
The Board of Selectmen voted to reconsider their recommendation vote following changes to wording that voters will now see.
The wheels of government are constantly in motion, and now Town Meeting voters heading to the Abbot School on March 23 will have one more change after Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting.
Article 11, which will set the town's operating budget for Fiscal '14, will now have no option to possibly consider a Prop 2 1/2 overide vote following news from School Superintendent Bill Olsen that could potentially impact next fiscal year's school budget.
That budget had been recommended by the Selectmen with a split 3-2 vote before the news from Olsen that Westford's schools would be getting $88,000 in the first installment of a $4.1 million settlement from the Merrimack Special Education Collaborative, a settlement shared by all towns within the collaborative.
Olsen recommended that if possible, the money be used for special education tuition for younger students, a recommendation the board unanimously agreed to.
And on that note, Andrea Peraner-Sweet requested a reconsideration of the 3-2 vote due to a hope that the board could move into Town Meeting unified on the budget and the new information.
Immediately after that vote, Board of Selectmen chairman Kelly Ross said he had gotten the perception that there was no interest in language on Article 11 that could allow a possible Prop 2 1/2 override vote, and moved to remove any mention of a possible override, a motion that was unanimously accepted.
Local
6:12 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
At this rate isn't it logical and expected that the Schools will push for an override vote next year when the dreaded FY15 looms?
I still don't see the upside in approving the requested and recommended school budget that includes so many staff positions that will need to be funded in perpetuity. SC Chair Harkness says they will add the new positions one way or another, admitting the money can be found without another $500K from the town.
Do we think this new position school budget is going to get enough Yeah votes to sail through?
Andrew Sylvia
7:47 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
I apologize, the picture I posted originally appeared to be of better quality than how it looked here. I removed it, and I'll take a look at my camera.
Jamaal
5:51 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
WEA going to Pickett ATM in those bright green shirts? Been hearing the buzz of a return to arms on that front
Jesse James
3:29 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
The WEA is going to be in for a big surprise. Unlike the municipal side of the FY14 budgets which has $100,000 in reserve for pay increases,there is NO reserve line in the school committee budget for pay increases. Unless the additional $475,000 the SC claims for new 766 out district placements is really a slick way to hide the amount reserved for school employees pay increases.
Come Sept., the parents of special needs scheduled for out of district placement will not move into Westford. Ergo, the SC has found $475,000 for steps and pay raises.
Wait until FY15 when the Wizards of Ozzes run out of magic tricks.
Townie
4:16 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Jesse,
So what your saying/ implying is that Olsen and Harkness are playing the 'Sped Mandate Card' as a way to pad the budget and pay for other personnel costs? Wow, thats like something out of Nixon's Committee to reelected the President Slush fund diversion! Accordingly $$$ that was earmarked for SPED services will be channeled off leaving those SPED students high and dry?
What a sorry state our excellent schools are in if there is truth to this assertion!
Jesse James
5:12 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Townie, please read my posting. The $475K in question is allegedly to pay for an out of district placement of a student that is allegedly moving to town in Sept. 2013.
If the student does not move in, the rest of the SPED students will not be short changed since the funds to support these students are allocated in the proposed FY14 school budget.
BTW Slick legal? moves around state laws on funding are not unique to the school committee the BoS have done it many a time.
Amber B.
8:46 pm on Monday, April 8, 2013
That's not how it works. They don't preemptively allocate funds for a specific student.
concernedresident
4:20 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
There seem to be two issues playing here. First is that every committee out there comes up with a budget (Selectman, FinComm, School, etc) and NO ONE is coordinating anything.
Second, before you ask for an override (which we will CLEARLY need next year) you do a School Utilization Study, and make sure you need the override. I'll tell you that everyone I know with kids in EVERY school says the schools are well UNDER capacity.
Once again, LEADERSHIP. Where the heck are the Selectman? They used to have Committee Chair Meetings, and now they don't. My thought is simple. there are two Selectman up for re-election, and one in particular has had way too much time to screw this town up.
VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT!
Jesse James
5:04 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
There are only two budgets,municipal and school, that are merged by the Town Manager into the Town Manager's Budget. The Finance Committee reviews the Town Manager's Budget to generate the "Finance Committee Recommendations to Town Meeting". Unfortunately in this age of Kumbaya and the rule of the Queen of Hearts, dissent is not tolerated.
The Finance Committee's recommendations are just a cover up for the fat and lard contained in the Town Manager's Budget both on the municipal and school budgets.
Local
6:08 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Jesse,
I have come to understand you are an insider with great insight and wisdom to the inner workings and the shady deals. I would like to know more about the school budget side, the lack of transparency by the current regime and anything else you can bring to the light of day with a little whistle blowing. Nice to have an inside guy and I think you are ours! What do you know about the Olsen Harkness pact?
Jesse James
9:28 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Instead of Olsen-Harkness, I would worry about KRoss-Jefferies-JRoss team.
Sam
9:31 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Totally agree
concernedresident
8:26 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Go watch the CAT broadcast of the 2/26 BOS meeting. Prerana-Sweet and Jeffries vote Lock-step to give as much $$ to schools without asking ANY justification. Both are up for reelection. I hate to sound like a broken record, but seriously, LETS GET RID OF THESE PEOPLE!
http://jimjarvie.com/
www.votescotthazleton.com