Superintendent of Schools Michael Frechette threw down the gauntlet in his opposition to Mayor Sebastian Giuliano's proposed budget at Tuesday's Common Council budget workshop"Everytime the city oversteps its authority," Frechette said. "Yeah, we're going to fight it. The amount of time and energy we waste is incredible."
This year's budget proposes an increase of $859,000 over last year's budget, a 1.28% increase. The mayor proposes taking $13 million from the Board of Education budget to be controlled by the city.
Giuliano has proposed that the city take authority for non-education employees in local 466 and the MMPA, including department managers, custodians and certain administrative staff. Giuliano cites city charter language, and an interpretation by city attorney Tim Lynch in defense of his claim. Frechette cited state statute Tuesday.
"The Board of Education is an agent of the state unlike any other department in the city," Frechette said after reading several state statutes which give the Board authority independent of the city.
Frechette's conclusions were challenged by Council member Phil Pessina, but other Council members, including those of Ron Klattenburg and Vinnie Loffredo appeared designed to allow Frechette to make his case against the mayor.
Frechette also said that the budget as proposed defies a state statute which forbids a city from dipping below a "minimum budget requirement" which Frechette said, quoting a state statute, demands that the city not propose a budget for 2011, that is less than the budget passed for the BOE in 2010.
Board of Education chairman Ted Raczka defended the Board of Education budget saying that it considered the needs of education in the community.
"This 1.28% increase is the only board budget in the region that is under 3%," Raczka said.
Frechette indicated that 88% of his budget goes to salaries, and that the Board of Education had successfully negotiated a 0% increase in salaries across the board for teachers, administrators and central office.
The Common Council also heard presentations from the Parks and Recreation Department, Senior Services, Youth Services, the Parking Department and the Police Department.
While the Police Department budget presentation was expected to be contentious, a preliminary budget session with the majority and minority leaders from the Council seemed to smooth the way for an acceptable budget request by Acting Chief Patrick McMahon.
Let's see this year the Superintendent spent $80,000 to redo his office and $40,000 for catered snacks for meetings. Since no one in the school administration appears to have any control over how the Board of Ed spends tax payer money maybe its time for tax payers to stop paying taxes.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this Superintendent the only one who has problems with the City? The setup with employees has always been the same. The City is not asking for anything other than accountablility from the Board of Education. They are not interferring with the educational process. Rules are rules, and apparently Superintendent Frechette does not want to follow any, other than the ones he feels he can control.
ReplyDeleteI watched the Boards presentation on TV last night and found it amazing that the Parks & Recreation Director was grilled for over one hour, for a 2.9 million dollar budget, and the Superintendent of Schools 72 million dollar budget lasted almost just as long. The only difference was the Superintendent was praised by the Common Council for doing such a great job controlling spending.
Middletown always amazes me.
I am going to get a copy of the BOE budget. If they are proposing a 0% increase, they must be getting an increase in benefits other than wages. The old "end around" play.
ReplyDelete88% in salaries? No wonder there's no paper in the schools. Focus should be on the children and schools first. Instead of moving your office (to a sum of $80,000) Mr. Superintendent (a frivolous expense) you should have given the monies to the school administrators--you should be ashamed!
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