The Board Deliberates Raising Taxes for the 7th Consecutive Year
The school board was presented revised figures for the 2006 budget at the April 12,2006 meeting.
Dr. Warren Moser, the substitute business manager, said both revenue and expense estimates had changed from the March 21, 2006 presentation.
The bottom line is that the board wants to spend $25,487,030 dollars in 2006-2007. This represents a 1.54 millage increase of 7.18%.
Currently, we pay $2,150 of property taxes for $100,000 of assessed value. The new tax would be $2,304 per $100,000 of assessed value.
This percentage increase is nearly twice the rate of inflation and the state average weekly wage increase.
If approved our millage will have increased over 67% since 1999.
The 7.18% increase does not include the cost of a new synthetic track. When questioned about the omission in his presentation, Dr. Moser said he was only discussing the operational budget and not the track.
The taxpayers then asked the board members how is the board going to pay for the track.
The board refused to answer the question.
This lack of honesty only reinforces concerns that tax dollars will be the main source of revenue for the new construction.
Equally, disturbing, is that Dr. Moser was unable to answer questions about the various off-budget categories called fund balances.
The amount of monies in these balances could have a profound effect on the amount of millage increases.
At the present time, there are three major fund balances of interest to the Oley taxpayers, the General Fund Balance, the Capital Reserve Fund, and the Capital Projects Fund.
After considerable prodding, the district finally gave the current rather than anticipated fund numbers.
The General Fund Balance has $1,800,000, the Capital Reserve Fund has $1,773,000, and the Capital Projects Fund has $1,231,929. The total for the three is $4,804,929.
The district generates approximately $677,000 for each mill of taxes. They are looking at a 1.54 mill increase or $1,042,580 of additional taxes in 2006.
The board knows they have nearly five million dollars of funds available before tax increases, yet they talk about raising taxes for the seventh consecutive year.
A number of the problems with our school board would be resolved, if they had to ask the taxpayers each year for permission to raise taxes over a certain standard.
A referendum would address issues like the size of the teacher salary and benefit package, a superintendent's one year $13,000 pay increase and the grandeur of a new athletic facility.
19 Comments:
With all the time that is spent researching "this and that" and going to educational functions, it's not likely that the board members could find the time to read this blog...but...WE KNOW YOU ARE READING THIS. You're all too self centered to NOT read this. It's like you've got your own little reality show going. The problem you're having is the "reality" part. You've lost touch with it. Your replies are so obvious, you may as well use your name, it's not like you've got the rest of us guessing. "Dr. Snappy Comeback," must have failed his online detective course. Better luck next time.
May we suggest that you read this blog daily? It will help you to realize that we are not a handful of ticked off country bumpkins.
We are OLEY, and we are fed up with the pathetic excuse that is...OUR SCHOOL BOARD. We are disappointed in the results of our own votes. Disappointment is something that we can deal with. It's called REPLACEMENT.
We are telling every single person we meet, about this blog. This is our best way to communicate with the fellow tax payers.
While you are taking your "power naps," we are working. While you are asleep, we have one eye open. We see the miserable mess you've gotten us into, and frankly, we just don't trust you.
At this time, we'd like to thank each and every member of the Oley School Board for inspiring the Oley Concerned Citizens to do exactly what we're doing....spreading the word any way we can...about the need for total replacement of our school board. If only you could do your job as well as you've inspired us to do ours. THEN...maybe someone would actually deserve a raise.
The above could not have been written any better. It is the total truth. Please people out there start coming to the meetings. Next one is Wednesday April 19, 2006 at the Middle School Auditorium at 7pm. Do not be afraid if you see the police there, the board keeps thinking in there stupid no brain heads that we are the trouble makers when they should look in the mirror and see the real problem makers. They are distroying this beautiful Oley Valley.
Police at a school board meeting? Isn't the school supposed to be setting some sort of a GOOD example for our children? Nothing says "WELCOME"... quite like a cocky school board and a bunch of squad cars.
Voting in one or two new members has not changed anything, and it can't. Like it stated on a previous post, most of the board members look like they are on trial, and their statements are calculated. 8 members that mumble their comments and replies, and one big fish in the little pond with no manners, common sense, or scruples.
When is the school district going to get it in there stupid little ego heads that education comes first. Why also are we the parents of children in the district have to pay for class trips, when the state has a law saying if the class trip is part of the instructional 180 days of school, the school district has to pay for the trips. I am looking for an answer to this. I will be looking for a refund check in the near future. I could ask for interest too! You are always looking for a way to screw the people of this district. Shame on you. One day you are going to regret all the terrible things you did to us!!!
HEY BOARD MEMBERS, GET OFF!!!!
Why do the board sit at the meetings and not answer questions that the public is asking? You look like a bunch of fools! I cannot stand the way these meetings are run. It is like a circus, with bozo the clown leading the monkey's. Do not say anything unless I tell you. Don't each member have a brain? Cappa has to keep bringing his video camera. He might have to video himself getting kicked off this board. I cannot wait till that day. Oley Valley and this school district will have a grand party.
CHANGE IS COMING AND IS LONG OVERDUE!!!!!
If anyone wonders why the board members don't answer questions aimed directly at them, it's because the strings are too short. "Gepetto Zackon," AKA "Master of the Puppets," has these board members playing the part of world class puppets. Unable to act on their own, and unwilling, they allow old Gepetto to pull all the strings, and they dance to his tune. So proud of having TWO "Doctors" on board....featuring Pinocchio Cappa, constructed of fine, imported worm-wood and a heart of stone. Any more lies from him, and his nose will block out the video camera's view. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Doc!
COME TO THE NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TELL THE BOARD YOU DO NOT WANT ANOTHER TAX INCREASE. THIS WILL BE THE 7TH YEAR IN A ROW. SPENDING WITHOUT CARE AND CONSIDERATION OF HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PAYING HIGHER TAXES IS NOT GOING TO BE TOLERATED ANYMORE. STOP THIS BOARD NOW BEFORE IT IS TOOO LATE!!! APRIL 19TH AT 7PM IS THE NEXT MEETING AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SEE YOU THEN.
What is going on here. The track parents and kids show up at meetings get the vote they are looking for from this board and walk out. How stupid are these people. The board has to come up with alot of money for this track, they have mishandled alot of our money in the past. How the heck to do think this district can come up with this money? We need to spend our taxes on education only. Do a garage sale or something to come up with money needed for this new track. We have not seen one fundraiser done as of today. Mr. Boyer show the children what it is like to earn money, like you do as a teacher. You cannot think we the taxpayers have to pay for this track. NO WAY!!! Ask the board why 1.2 mil is sitting in some account for legal issues due to the middle school building project. Ask Mrs. McCarthy why she had over 600,000 in overruns at the middle school during the building process. This track like everything else will wind up being more money then the original price tag. Why was this track not fixed years ago? How many children have been injured on this current track? Let us see the reports! Money does not grow on trees!!!
Anybody see the massive traffic jam on 73 yesterday? I thought it was all people that were leaving the area because of the high taxes. That will be the next big jam....
Anyone can create a wish list and then hand the bill to those from whom it is extorting payment. This is something that the Mafia generally tends to do in conducting its business.
The Oley Valley School Board (corporately and individually) appear to have no conscience about how its actions personally hurt others. Yes, just like the Mafia.
The board continually demands our respect, although their actions generate greatly opposing emotions. Again, just like you know what.
It would be so refreshing to have a Board of School Directors who actually understand the role a bona fide director is to play. And that does not include becoming a band of bullies stealing the good people's lunch money ... or social security income .... or whatever is left for them to live on.
Let us hope that there are five new people willing to take on this pack of bullies in the next election and gain the majority for the sake of the "real people" in this district who understand real budgets, fiscal prudence and restraint, and the concept of managing other people's money with integrity.
What remains to be seen: Are there enough people who will actually show up and vote for 5 new board members if they have the chance? It's time to stand up and be counted.
April 18th, 2006; 4:15pm; WEEU radio - Even Jo Painter, the host, easily determined that the Oley School Board is speaking half truths about the track and educational spending, etc. Kind of funny that she can figure it out so quickly, and that the board and admin. are unable to do so.
She brought up another good point, comparing Oley (23+ mills) to Wilson (16+ mills). The communities around Wilson got their heads out of their !@#$'s, and allow businesses to be built to help offset taxes. Not in Oley, we collectively help run the property taxes up by conserving "green space" until the farmer quits and then sells to a developer to build new houses that send more kids to Oley, costing us more collectively in p-taxes.
So, why we vote for all new board members, which we desparately need, I also suggest getting all new township commisioners in Oley.
Number one: the Oley school board does not and has NEVER tried to get our respect. They don't even care if we don't respect them. Power hungry folks never do care if people respect them. Do as I say...pay, pay, pay. Hardly a one of them on the board has had to pay their own way. They are leaches that suck off of opportunities which they orchestrated to benefit themselves, while stepping on others. There are very, very few exceptions to this rule on the board. Enter any one of their full names on a search engine, and learn volumes. Better yet, just open your ears and tune in to conversations in Kings, etc, and you will hear all you need to know. Be bold enough to ask any longtime resident of this area about the retired medical doctor, and you will hear plenty of facts that would never point that person in the direction of being in a position of spending our money, or educating our kids. There's a whole bunch of skeletons in that closet, and somehow, some folks are thick enough to believe they've been swept under the rug. They have not.
Oh my! Outstanding blogs. Too bad they are the truth. It would be nice if this was fiction, but it is not. Oley board members are going down. They should have been replaced years ago. They are a joke and a half. It is a circus at these so called meetings. The head dude is back from is long vacation in Spain. Our poor children had to pay for the snake to go! One day he will regret all that he has done to this district.
Anyone ever notice the likeness Cappa bears to "the Joker" from Batman?
You mean that WASN'T Cappa playing that part?
Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Maybe this blog should set up a special section for slamming Dr.Cappa. (Just kidding) It is tiresome to weed through the name calling and personal attacks to get to any serious comments. The attacks degrade this forum and make it less credible.
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