2015-2016 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves the Proposed Final Budget in the form presented in the amount of $91,643,749 at a millage rate of 23.57 mills, a .42 mill increase. The Board approves making this Budget available for public view until the meeting on May 18, 2015 when a Final Budget will be approved with any changes the Board deems necessary.This was the resolution from one year ago:
2014-2015 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves a Proposed Final Budget in the amount of $87,924,509, at a millage rate of 23.15 mills, a .54 mill increase from 2013-14, utilizing $750,000 of the fund balance in the form presented.
Furthermore, the Board intends to vote on a Final Budget with such changes as it deems necessary at its May 19, 2014 meeting.
As it stands, we won't know until May 18, 2015 if Dr. Steinhauer and the administration were able to develop a budget with less than a .42 mill increase to cover the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) rate increase, use $750,000 of the fund balance, and make approximately $582,000 in budget reductions to balance the budget. A .42 mill increase is $42 a year on a home assessed at $100,000."
Every year, the Board, Dr. Steinhauer, and Jan Klein are less transparent.
- No Budget Forum again
- No cost savings worksheet published again.
- Capital Projects List is only for 2015-2016. This includes: Paint lines on turf for lacrosse and field hockey(annual) 5,000.00. Last year's 79 page report was for 2014-2018. The Capital Project List for 2014-2015 was on pages 78 and 79 which included the infamous Trophy Case. The five forecast included turfing the Rock Pile. (Turf for upper practice field.)
Mr. Franklin said taking turf at the Rock Pile and Mellon Field was a $0 savings in the budget!
ReplyDeleteIf one employee spend even one minute on the idea of turfing now or in the future that is an expense we can I'll afford at this time.
Wait a second now....would that be the 30% increase in budget we were warned about in 2010? That's a 27% increase in the expense side of the budget in 5 years.
ReplyDeleteFor real estate tax it went from 48,240,359 (09-10 budget) up to 60,794,156 for 15-16. That's 26% increase in real estate taxes.
I, for one, got hit in the reassessment on top of everything else. My taxes have gone up over 45% since I bought my house in 2009.
Thank you Mt. Lebanon school directors. I've had many more than my fill of lattes per month!!!!
The budget was $87,924,509 last year and this year's budget is $91,643,749.
ReplyDeleteThat is an increase of $3,719,240!
How long can this community sustain that kind of spending increases?
The muni is not hurting for money. The real estate transfer tax is at 2 1/2 percent. If one multiplies all properties sold in Mt. Lebanon added on to the price paid for each property, it gives you an idea how much the muni is raking in. The muni and school district have no sympathies from me.
ReplyDeleteAnyone that thought that the increase would be less than the maximum was a fool...
ReplyDeleteWe moved here in 2013, and our taxes have increased significantly since that time. My family is now at a point where we are facing the serious question of whether we can afford to continue to live in our house. I am not alarmist, I have zero desire to move, but I am really concerned at this point. And the worst is that even if we do try to sell, who want to buy a highly assessed house in a high taxed community?? I'm so worried about this.
ReplyDeleteMy family has been here circa 1890 and for my late 80 year old parents the taxes are quite a burden... But hey they don't want people like that here anyway!
ReplyDelete9:33,
ReplyDeleteMost of the 0.42 mill increase in taxes goes to the district employees. The kids will get very little of this.
The mindset of the local government here is completely broken and sickly.
ReplyDeleteThey spend money like they are a small nation, not a suburb of a small city.
Kind of reminds me of this:
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2014/04/03/Letter-to-the-editor-South-Mt-Lebanon-addicted-to-revenue/stories/201404030007
I guess I have lived here long enough now for deja vu.
- Jason M.
The budget is almost $4 milion more than last year. The District has been struggling to raise $6 milion over the past couple of years. They need over a million dollars just for the athletic wing in capital funds. The board can't continue at this pace. But Lebowitz, Cappucci, and Cooper will most likely be reelected.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Mr. Franklin:
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your reply on 4/11/2015 @8:43 AM to my 4/11/2015 @12:05 post. If one cannot cut 10% from ones yearly, monthly, daily budget you are truly delusional or have had only the luxury of raising your legal hourly rate to $400+ per hour to support you lifestyle. Unfortunately, the majority of people in this community do not have that luxury.
You stated that “…I doubt that a 5% reduction in spending would come without some angst for someone.”… Mr. Franklin, I can’t even believe that you even said that. Apparently the word sacrifice is not in your, or, as you lead us to believe, the majority of the communities vocabulary. The community budget is not an unlimited funding pool. It would behoove the community at large to get over it and live within our means! It’s a classic case of wants versus needs. The community simply cannot support the wants of a few over the needs of the many. Streets go unpaved, infrastructure is crumbling and we dump HUGH amounts of money into amenities and sports. Can you not see that? Heck, Ray Charles could see it!
I do have answerers Mr. Franklin; the trouble is no one has the common sense or political courage/power to implement them. Please refer to my prior comments. We, as a community, have devolved into a “cost is no object” lifestyle. This attitude is not only arrogant but also offensive and unsustainable.
You also stated that I know nothing about you but your name. Mr. Franklin, while we have not met, I would digress with that statement. Over the course of my years, I have developed an extremely keen sense of character. I have read your posts and I can infer your general attitude towards spending. I might agree that you do not support the High School spending debacle but I truly wonder if that was because it took potential money away from your turf and sports agenda. Mr. Franklin $1 MILLION dollars and climbing for Wildcat field, PLUS $85K/year maintenance for a field that was perfectly serviceable as it was for children? I can’t believe it and certainly no reasonable person can justify it. Yet you and your cronies will stop at nothing to advance your personal agenda.
In closing, I would like to offer the following thought to consider, “My riches consist not in the extend of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants” - J. Brotherton
Sincerely,
Roger V. DeLonga
Athletics in Lebo are regarded in a manner that reminds me of professional leagues, like the Steelers. For example, it would not be unheard of to spend well over $8000 for high school football championship rings. The sports group leaders seem to forget that the Steelers make a profit, while, um... the high school athletes don't.
ReplyDeleteThe budget has been going up by $3.5 to $3.7 million for the last few years even though they supposedly have been cutting corners and eliminating fat.
ReplyDeleteNow then if they're costs are rising substantially faster than the CPI they're doing something wrong.
Just wondering...
ReplyDeletedo you think this year's budget is a product of all those Superintendent/student lunches?
With all of the deer culling and personal back and forth with the various commissioners it seems that nobody has noticed the High School project has already spent ALL of the contingency money set aside - and the project isn't nearly complete with major demolition still to occur over the summer.
ReplyDelete(contingency spending is at 101% as of the March construction update - slide 27 of http://www.mtlsd.org/highschoolrenovation/stuff/construction_update_3_15.pdf )
I just have to laugh at this point. Many of us were lambasted--publicly and privately--for daring to call out the almighty school board for its irresponsible, reckless and dishonest delivery of the high school project. In the end, sadly, we were right and they were wrong.
ReplyDeleteThat's what happens when you have a collection of people barely qualified to put together a bake sale running full-tilt toward a project costing well over $100 million of public money, and over the "threshold" to keep it from a public vote. Yep, some of us were way off-base predicting the project would exceed even the $113 million... like the 4000 people who signed the petition. And the people who put their names on the ballot. And those people who attended the school board meetings only to be openly insulted and shut down.
It's all water under the bridge now but there is a valuable albeit unheeded lesson here. When there is an opposing view of something, it behooves people to at least listen (the board did not). Also, the definition of insanity would be electing the same cast of characters who were involved in this mess. Thankfully, some of the miscreants are gone already, though they are still lurking around the community. But remnants remain. Wake up, people. Without a change in direction, things will not get better. It's simple math, not common core.
And I've had it with the School Board, too! I don't mind if people waste their OWN money, that is if they are not expecting my money to bail them out. But I certainly mind if they waste MINE! I don't know who these people are or what universe they are living in, but the facts that they ignored with complete impunity the petition of 4,000 signators who said we DON"T WANT THE SCHOOL PROJECT; the fact that they contracted to spend up to the threshold amount, beyond which they would have been REEQUIRED to put the matter to a referendum vote, KNOWING that cost over-runs were a certainty; and the fact that about the only thing of any value that the taxpayers are going to get for their increased taxes is a heck of a nice sports complex for a DWINDLING student population is outrageous. In past centuries, such people would have been driven out of town for their blatant disregard for their assigned responsibilities as public fiduciaries. When this is over, maybe they can recoup some of our indebtedness by publishing a book: "How to Bankrupt an Exceptional Community."
ReplyDelete7:56 AM, "somebody" has noticed that the contingency fund has been spent. Richard Gideon has been kind enough to volunteer to try to reconcile the fund since there is a discrepancy between what has appeared on agendas and what is actually showing up on RTKs.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you can offer to help him, 7:56 AM.
Elaine
Permit me to suggest...
ReplyDelete"FIVE REASONS WHY WE (the MLSD) DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK"
1. A 0.42 mill increase in school property tax rates amounts to an extra $8.75 per month on a $250,000 home, so "wadda ya complainin' about?"
2. We have seen a growth in student population of around 125 kids in academic year '14/'15, so we must be doing something right!
3. Your house is worth a lot more than it was a couple of years ago (so say we), so if you don't like it here - MOVE! There are an infinite number of suckers who can't wait to live here. You'll profit - and so will we! (not to mention the fact that we'll be rid of you!).
4. Our job is to educate your children to our standards - and to keep you from having any choice as to where to send you kids to school by making it economically difficult for you to pay both school taxes and tuition. Your job is to shut-up and pay.
..and finally..
5. We have the best school district in the County; no, wait - in the State; no, wait - in the USA! Anyone who disagrees deserves to be ridiculed, harassed, and, if possible, sued.
Bob D.
Frankly I think that Bob at 12:46 is spot on (except for the second part of #4) except he was trying to be funny. 0.42 mills is a bargain for quality education. The schools are the main reason people move to Mt. Lebanon. That, in turn raises our property values. All good things
ReplyDeleteSo, 1:40pm, I take it you agree with #5?
ReplyDeleteBob D.
I'm hoping Bob D's comment was tongue-in-cheek.
ReplyDeleteIn case it isn't, there are several things to consider that relate to Bob's FACTS.
Sure, a .42 mill increase in itself isn't much of a big deal, but the district is also after Harrisburg to send them more money.
They're banking on Governor Wolf getting it for them. How is he going to do that?
One way he proposes to get the money is to increase the sales tax and expand the items taxed.
One service earmarked for taxing is home healthcare services.
So if you're a senior citizen trying to live in your home with inhome-care or you have a child that needs special care, if Wolf and the district get their way, the new sales tax could add thousands of dollars of expense to the household budget.
For example, if you spend $1,500/ month for inhome-care now, it isn't taxed.
Under Wolf's plan to send more money to feed the school districts' insatiable appetite for spending that healthcare will be taxed at 8% in Allegheny County.
$1,500 x 8% = $120/month in sales tax or $1,440/year.
All in the name of keeping the districts flush and that is just one item in a household budget. Add 1% on top of the 7% you pay now on your next car purchase.
It's all for the kids, right!
Bob also mentions "our standards." Who is "our" and why were they so afraid of a referendum on the high school project?
Were they afraid they weren't the majority and the referendum to spend over $113.4 million on the school wouldn't pass?
3:21pm:
ReplyDeleteBoy, you Pittsburghers never fail to amaze me! Don't you recognize satire when you read it?
Bob D.
Make no mistake, Mt. Lebanon leaders are all rooting for gentrification. From municipal employees that harass senior residents that are on fixed incomes to the school board that doesn't bat an eye at spending money/raising taxes. Expect to see many for sale signs in the next year. And expect to see Lebo Commissioners, MTL Magazine writers, and MTL zoning to rejoice when wealthier folks move in. It's a shame. This community was once a nice place.
ReplyDeleteSouth Fayette ascension continues with 6th graders
ReplyDeleteSouth Fayette leader among 7th-grade schools
Upper St. Clair's Fort Couch Middle School tops among 8th-grade schools
"More recently, Fort Couch Middle School instituted what it calls a one-to-one iPad initiative for its seventh-grader students. Each is given his or her own iPad to bring to classes and then take home at night.
Already, Fort Couch is noticing the benefit of having this technology in the school by enabling students to grow at their own pace."
Reading the articles and watching the videos tells me that it isn't just about PSSA scores. There is a sense of pride which is lacking here in Mt. Lebanon. I see it when I am teaching at Ft. Couch Middle School. Even the custodians go out of their way to make sure that everything is perfect for me and that the floor is swept up before I begin my class. I leave it in the same shape when class is over. The principal from South Fayette said that there is community and school spirit at South Fayette. I see nothing but entitlement here in Lebo.
Elaine
I believe the sales tax would rise to 8.6%, not 8% if Wolf's plan gets approved.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, here is an article on the new items that would taxed.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/03/heres_what_itemsservices_would.html#incart_river
"Items as varied as cable television, caskets, dry cleaning services and textbooks would be taxed starting in 2016 if Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposals are passed as is.
Wolf unveiled his budget Tuesday during a joint meeting of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Senate. To pay for the higher-cost items in his budget -- like increased money for public education -- Wolf has proposed raising taxes.
Wolf's budget includes raising the state's sales tax from 6 percent to 6.6 percent and significantly increasing the number of items and services that would no longer be tax exempt.
Items such as food, clothing and prescription pills would remain tax exempt.
Here's a breakdown of the items and services that would be subject to the state's sales tax if passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly:
• Candy and gum
• Personal hygiene products
• Newspapers and magazines
• Non-prescription drugs
• Caskets and burial vaults
• Flags
• Textbooks
• Catalogs and direct mail advertising
• Airline catering
• Sales commission
• Horses
• Construction of memorials
• Uniform commercial code filing fees
• Investment metal bullion and investment coins
• Cable television
• Transportation
• Motion picture and video industries
• Other financial investment activities
• Real Estate agent and broker services
• Legal services
• Accounting services
• Specialized design services
• Advertising services
• Other professional services
• Employment Services
• Business sipport services
• Travel arrangement services
• Other support services
• Waste collection
• Higher education (meal plans, student activity fees, technology fees and other non-tuition fees)
• Home health care services
• Other ambulatory health care services
• Nursing and residential care facilities
• Social assistance (including child day care)
• Theater, dance, music and performing arts admissions
• Spectator sports
• Museums, historical sites and similar institutions
• Amusement and recreation industries
• Recreational vehicle parks and recreational camps
• Personal care services
• Death care services
• and laundry services
• Other personal services"
Additional thought— Wonder if we go to PAYT garbage collection and Wolf's sales tax plan passes, would we need to pay 8.6% sales tax on our PAYT bills?
Bob D, 3:21 here. I recognized your satire.
ReplyDelete1:40s comment made me think it might be wise to hedge my bet though.
Read these two scenarios and then answer the question below:
ReplyDeleteA) When a MTL student showed up at the high school in a costume that made him look homeless, he was arrested because he did not tell the teachers who he was. He had a class assignment that required a costume later in the day.
B) Today (or yesterday) in Aliquippa a real homeless youth (age 18) was seen carrying a bayonet/rifle outside the schools. The schools were placed on lockdown. In the meantime, the mayor got in a car with the police because he felt he might know the child. He eventually caught up with the kid and hugged him. That kid was arrested too.
Here is your PSSA question for today:
Which place do you think is likely to be kinder to its citizens?
I ask because at the end of the day, most people like to live in a kind community.
In the Almanac last month -
ReplyDelete" went on to explain that several leaks had been repaired at the high school over the past week as snow and ice thawed. The problem areas included an old section of roof not replaced during the renovation project and an electrical conduit in the band room.
He said roofers recommended evaluating the roof section for more substantial repairs, as several years have passed since it was assessed during the high school project’s design phase."
The roof had at least one repair in 2002 for around $200,000. Think they also had one when Mark Hart was on the board, I think.
But here's the interesting part.
"If what the people want is a completely new school, then the only way to get there is to do my plan," Fraasch said. "Why spend $70 million today, when we can wait a few years and get the new school? Let's have this conversation. If the community wants a new school, let's sit down and chart a path to get there."
Fraasch's plan involves making the high school roof leak proof for 10 years and purchasing new boilers. He proposes using the district's $9 million in savings to pay for most of these repairs. Over the next 10 years, the district would pay down the existing debt. At that point, Fraasch said, the district could afford a completely new school.
"We could purchase boilers that use alternative energy, thus saving costs there. Once the new school is built, these boilers could be relocated to another building," Fraasch said.
The long-term bonus would be a modest tax increase to pay for a completely new high school, Fraasch said.
http://lebosbupdates.blogspot.com/2008/12/almanac-article.html?m=1
5:43 here. Almanac link http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20150310/NEWS/150319997
ReplyDelete"“While none of us wanted to see that number over 100 percent, the good news is we do have other sources of money available,” school board president Lawrence Lebowitz said." - from the Almanac article link at 5:52.
ReplyDeleteI wonder where those board directors went that promised they were "committed" to bring the high school project in under $113.2 million dollars, let alone 17-25% under budget!
"At the December 19, 2011 School Board meeting the Board approved the bids for the high school construction project for a total estimated cost of $109,572,558.
At the January 18, 2010, Regular School Board meeting, the School Board voted 6-3 to approve the Act 34 document that set the maximum total project cost of $113,274,765. The cost of the project is still fluid. The maximum it could cost would be $113, 274,765. However, this includes contingencies of about $8 million for unknowns and does not take into account that bids on recent school construction projects came in at 17% to 25% below their original estimates. Additionally, work continues with the architects and construction managers to find ways to further reduce the cost through value engineering. The School Board has state their committment to find ways to reduce the cost of the project so the final cost will be less than $113,274,765."
This is a very cool and thoughtful policy from Fort Couch that would be an excellent idea for Mt Lebanon to consider:
ReplyDeleteThe school has instituted a no-cut policy for its extracurricular activities. What that means is every student can take part in various programs such as the school musical or the basketball team if they are interested.
"“While none of us wanted to see that number over 100 percent, the good news is we do have other sources of money available,” school board president Lawrence Lebowitz said." - from the Almanac article link at 5:52.
ReplyDeleteAnd there you have the philosophy of Pennsylvania Public Education... "the good news is we do have other sources of money available."
Spend, spend, spend, raises, raises, raises, more spend, spend, spend... they'll never get their fiscal house in order as long as we give them the means to get more money!
The Rockpile will be turfed.
ReplyDeleteThe Franklins of the world will push it and the school board will have a choice of either re-sodding it with natural grass or putting artificial turf.
The Franklins of the community will put data in front of the school board that shows turf is good for the budget.
The Board, being filled with nincompoops, will not even argue the fact. They have turf already. Why not turf the rockpile when all the dirt is removed.
There won't even be a fight.
For Mellon, it is a harder argument because the cost will be so much higher and literal gradeschoolers will be out there putting rubber crumbs in their mouths.
However, I think the sports groups are purposely not doing their part to maintain the field over there. Today it is a dump with pools of water. How the District can't figure out how to crown the damn field is beyond me!
The community will never know the full cost of the project. Much of the expense was covered by Capital project funds and the regular operating budget which covered district labor costs.
ReplyDeleteNext topic.
"Fix pensions: The Democratic mayors are right — it’s a crisis" - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
ReplyDeleteDo you think our school board, school administration, state senator and representative will join with the democratic mayors and lobby for pension reform?
Don't bet your life on it, as Lebowitz declares they enjoy having other sources of money to tap so why sweat reforming public PR teacher pension plans.
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2015/04/15/Fix-pensions-The-Democratic-mayors-are-right-it-s-a-crisis/stories/201504300014
How well is out tax money spent is a question answered by examining the superintendent's compensation, and his job requirements. He has no assigned definitive deliverables in his performance plan. Everything is intentionally vague. Given his background as, I understand it, a former school band director, perhaps nothing more can be expected. If he is doing such a great management job, how come students require constant tutoring after school hours. Are the teachers who tutor off campus paid for tutoring? Is it a conflict to be paid twice to do the same job?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Mr. Franklin, how about this blast from the past.
ReplyDelete"Do the Real Lebo folks know something that the rest of us don't? Have the final design drawings, cost estimates and payment plans been hand delivered to the Real Lebo headquarters such that the rest of us not worry about how we're going to pull this off? Are you here to assure us that the tax bill associated with this project - when combined with the Municipality's obvious need for more tax revenues - won't make Mt. Lebanon unaffordable? How will my property value be impacted when I can't sell me $250,000 house because of an $18,000 tax bill?
I was under the impression that you started this Blog to examine the issues from all sides - not just one.
If Real Lebo wants to stick its collectively head in the sand and ignore the fact that with respect to the high school project we have more doubters/objectors in this community than we do supporters, I may re-visit your site for book and movie reviews and perhaps the occassional restaurant recommendation, but not much else."
Is the Dave Franklin that worried about school district spending and municipal taxes above on RealLebo the same Franklin (Parks and Sports Advisor) that pushed for a $1.2 million turfed field and recently wrote on Elaine's blog—
"You folks argue in circles. I'm staying. Building fields while I'm here. Mellon can't start soon enough.
As for game slots, given the weather and the fact that baseball registration for the youngest age groups ends today, I'd venture a guess that we haven't lost too many game slots on Cedar. Historically, we don't even start scheduling baseball practices until early April and games don't start until the end of the month. Most of us live close to an elementary school grass field and can confirm that's those have gone unused until this week as well when the weather sort of broke. Meanwhile, the HS turf has been cranking full steam 7 days a week since the snow melted.
Have a great weekend.
Dave Franklin"
April 2, 2015 at 4:12 PM
2:05, yep, same guy. If you have a solution for Mellon that doesn't require a complete overhaul, I'm all ears. It's a disaster, with broken sewer lines, no drainage, no access (except a new set of stairs in the far corner), 1/2 of a cinder track, 1/2 of a tennis court, no running water, no facilities and lousy fencing.
ReplyDeleteGiven the school district's total disregard for this field over the years, fixing Mellon will cost a small fortune regardless of which surface we pick. It's pretty close to unplayable now. I suppose we can let it rot, cancel all of Mellon's athletic programs (perhaps those kids can play at Fort Couch under their no-cut policy) or we can do something to improve it for the long term.
When the SAB was considering field improvements, many (myself included) thought Mellon should have been the target. However, this blog and others trashed the idea of using municipal funds to improve a school field. I didn't follow that logic because regardless of whether a field or building is deeded to the municipality or the school district, the taxpayers fund it and use it. It's an asset worth preserving in my opinion. Any way, the opposition to fixing Mellon won out.
At some point we have to fix it, or stop using it. It's simply becoming too unsafe.
And before anyone suggests that this is my pet project, it's not. Any improvements to Mellon at this stage won't benefit my kids at all, but it will affect others and I would hope that the families who will use Mellon for years to come will work to get something done, with turf or without.
If the district's priority is to let it rot, well then I suppose we're about 75% of the way there. The recent French drain notwithstanding, the place needs some serious attention . . . soon.
Dave Franklin
Dave Franklin @ 3:41 Don't recall hearing anybody complaining about Mellon during School Board Meetings. Not once. Ever. Don't recall hearing anybody complaining during School Board Meetings about the holes in the High School Turf when Elaine posted pictures of it on this Blog.
ReplyDeleteIf this doesn't describe Mt Lebanon elected bureaucrats, I don't know what does:
ReplyDeleteIt's time for a recap of my Law of Bad Ideas.
Law of Bad Ideas: Bad ideas don't go away until they have been tried and failed multiple times, and generally not even then.
Corollary Number One: Left alone, bad ideas get worse over time.
Corollary Number Two: The overwhelming desire to implement bad ideas leads to compromises guaranteed to make things worse.
Corollary Three: Those in positions of political power not only have the worst ideas, they also have the means to see those ideas are implemented.
Corollary Four: The worse the idea, the more likely it is to be embraced by academia and political opportunists.
Corollary Five: No politically acceptable idea is so bad it cannot be made worse.
Corollary Six: Bad ideas lead to more bad ideas to fix problems caused by previous bad ideas.
Mr. Franklin, had we just improved the grass at Wildcat/Middle perhaps the community might have been willing to make some major improvements at Mellon.
ReplyDeleteOr better yet, had the SAB been more on board with developing fields at Robb Hollow in conjunction with divesting of the McNeilly property there might have been a consensus on Mellon.
Not once did I hear the sports groups volunteering their money to improve Mellon. It was all turf the crown jewel!
Personally, I thought improving Mellon was the preferred option along with better care for all the fields, ut I don't remembering you pushing for it.
If memory serves your blog lobbied hard for the WC/M turf.
I remember also the sports group were a little delinquent on their payments to the Joint Maintenance Agreement that covered keeping up the Mellon Field.
In fact, didn't you
Mr. Franklin, you do realize that the municipality just committed nearly $1,000,000 to turf ONE field (when used for lacrosse or soccer). The sports groups chipped in $260,000+ to that field. Because of that commitment the municipality is on the hook for $85,000/year since we'll have to replace that field in 8-10 years.
ReplyDeleteThe school district now is on the hook to resurface the Rock Pile in some manner, but they're already tapping Capital funds to buy textbooks this year and struggling to justify a .42 mill tax hike.
So where do you suppose all this money for fields is going to come from while we have two million dollar plots of land unused and off the tax roles.
Perhaps you have unlimited resources to come up with the money for unlimited spending Mr. Franklin, but there are people in this community that don't nor want to fund unlimited spending.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/15/we-should-get-to-decide-how-the-government-spends-our-taxes/?tid=HP_posteverything
ReplyDelete"We should get to decide how the government spends our taxes
The case for letting taxpayers choose whether their money goes to schools or the police or Medicaid."
I agree 7:41. I'd like to know why the taxpayers need to pay for cell phones for 13 Mt. Lebanon employees (public servants) who earn on average near $100,000 per year.
ReplyDeleteNick M.
Since WHEN are cell phones something the Muni pays for instead of the employees?
ReplyDeleteI don't know when it started 2:30 but when I heard about it I almost flipped. These are public servants who are supposed to be giving, not taking. As I get more detailed information I'll be asking these questions at one of the upcoming commission meetings.
ReplyDeleteNick M.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteIs this true of school district employees? I know that Susan Morgans pushed her cell phone in both of our faces during commission meetings and told me, at least, to stop lying.
Since this post is about the school district, I want to clarify this with you.
Elaine
Hi Elaine, these 13 are municipal employees including the public library custodian. I wouldn't mind knowing what perks the SD employees are getting though. I guess I can find out easy enough.
ReplyDeleteNick M.
Do they have desk phones to use?
ReplyDeleteIt seems like there is no effort to reduce the debt, reduce expenses, sacrifice a little... just increased taxes and incessant fundraisers in every direction -- pretzel sales, KONA ice trucks, the uptown taste fest, sports team shakedowns from the Blue Devils Club (6 months after the raffle you better pay us $25 for your unsold ticket) yada, yada. I feel like I am under constant pressure to buy something. It's like a consumer flu/plague that won't go away.