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News about YOUR TAXES from the T.O.C.
$70,266,000 Budget: Three Times Higher Than Inflation Rate
Although the Board of Education claims only a 6.74% increase over last year, the T.O.C. figures differently.
This $70.2 million budget includes almost $6 million in new spending. In other words, the budget-to-budget comparison conceals the
true spending increase of over 8%.
That's more than 3 times (closer to 4 times, in fact) the inflation rate!
One would think there would be a good reason for these increases. After all, aren't all school budgets increasing at similar rates? And isn't
enrollment increasing everywhere?
Let's, however, look at some salient facts about Bedford Central's spending plan for 2000-01. The new budget calls for:
* $2.4 million in wage and employee benefit increases
* $1.2 million in new wage and employee
benefits
The average teacher salary is $80,246. Add 30% for benefits, and the cost is $104,319! And that's just average - some teachers' pay alone is more than $100,000.
The T.O.C. disagrees strongly with the Board's view that new enrollment in 2001-02 calls for 16 new positions, adding $1.2 million.
Our full time equivalent staff is already 740 employees, or one full-timer for every five students. Our average certified
teacher-to student ratio is 9.8 to 1. In 2000, the district issued over 1,000 W-2 wage statements.
This hiring frenzy has to be reconsidered. And judging by the board's deliberations, the trustees aren't up to it.
How did we get to this point? The school board mantra is "enrollment & higher standards." Since 1997 Bedford Central has hired new staff 3 5 % faster than enrollment increases. If we only hired new people at the same rate as the increase in students, the district payroll would be $2.9 million per year less.
Despite these huge wage increases, the school budget process works backward. Rather than objectively scrutinizing underlying programs, it focuses on incremental spending - how much of an increase from last year can we justify?
We need board members who will hold the district administration accountable each year for existing programs.
The anticipated increase in tax rates should the $70.2 million budget pass on May 15th are:
• Bedford: 6.54%
• Mt. Kisco: -3.81%
• Pound Ridge: 6.07%
• New Castle: 8.84%
• North Castle: 13.77%
Plus: $91.1 Million Bond?
That's right. Right now, the school district proposes borrowing $91,100,000 with a bond issue, thereby adding at least $7,000,000 to each future year's budget to pay it back (and using up most of the District's "credit line" in the municipal bond market in the process.) The breakdown:
o $44.2 million in -potential new construction"
* $22.4 million in "priority renovation projects"
* $24.5 million in -professional fees and contingencies."
A thoughtful analysis of this spending spree is not possible because there is simply not enough detail in the public arena at this time.
Just How Big is $91 Milion?
Remember the "a tax cut would just buy a Lexus for the rich" story in the news a few months ago? Consider this: The $91.1 million, plus the interest on the bond, is enough to buy a Lexus for each and every child in the school district today.
Our analysis, based on information obtained under the Freedom of Information Law, indicates that the CFAC projections for new classroom space to accommodate future enrollment are vastly overstated. For example: Mount Kisco Elementary School had 748 students in 1966, but now needs a major addition to fit just 543???
Moreover, it appears that many individual projects identified as "priority renovation" should, in fact, be called "things we should have fixed a long time ago, before they got so bad." And why weren't they
done'? Because the district spends over three quarters of its money on salaries and benefits.
The proposed $9 1.1 million bond would have a tremendous effect on our future taxes. The T.O.C. urges more public scrutiny - too many of the deliberations and analyses have been unavailable to the public..
The Candidates
On Wednesday, May 15th, you will, in effect, be voting on the future of a $9 1. 1 million bond which will affect your taxes for many years to come. In fact, some of today's students may still be paying for it after they graduate.
You will also determine who will negotiate the next Teachers' Union labor contract. If you believe that, as the district administration says, our "commitment to children is reflected
in our per-pupil spending that exceeds $17,000"; if you believe that it's OK to borrow $9 1.1 million for a number of years to pay for short-term repairs and services; if you believe that it's good enough that, as the Bedford Review recently wrote, "Bedford
Central's test scores ... were ... on a par with other districts", then by all means, return Mel Comberati and Elin Sullivan to their positions as tax collectors.
But if you believe that, considering all that money, we should do better than just "be on a par" with other districts, then please vote for Bonnie Kohl-Laub
and Joseph Giardina to replace the incumbents.
Running for the third contested seat is FAC member Brad Sacks. Mr. Sacks is 100 % committed to the $9 1.1 million bond and all the questionable assumptions behind it.
Running against Sacks is Steve Miele. Steve is firmly opposed to this level of spending.
The T.O.C. encourages you to speak with all the candidates and thank all of them for running. A more thankless endeavor is hard to imagine.
We believe, however, that the long-term interests of the taxpayer and the quality of education are best ensured if you
Vote for Laub, Giardina and Miele.
Remember Florida? And Do You Vote?
As Florida proved last November, every vote counts. If you don't cast your ballot on Tuesday, May
15th, your missing vote just might make the difference.
Remember - last year, the district sent out over 1000 W-2 wage statements. That's a solid block of voters who have a vested interest in keeping the status quo - and then increasing the spending even higher. If you agree with us that the high rate of spending just doesn't match the "on a par" mediocre test results, then your vote is essential. May 15th at your local elementary school.