OSWEGO, NY – The school district’s 2008-09 budget is in the hands of the voters – again.
After meeting for more than two hours on Thursday and reinstating several of the cuts contained in the original spending plan, the board voted 4-2 to revote the budget to the public.
Voting will be conducted on June 17 from noon to 9 p.m. at the same locations as the May 20 vote.
The new proposed $67,126,271 budget saves several positions, but would mean a 5.72 percent tax rate increase for the public.
Last week, voters said no to a budget proposal that had a 3.81 percent increase.
Board members Dave White, Dan Hoefer, Sean Madden, and Jim Tschudy voted yes.
Board president Maggie Tiballi and board member Fred Maxon cast the no votes.
Board vice president Sally Nettles was absent.
The vote was 6-0 for an amended budget.
The proposed budget would reinstate two elementary art teachers, two elementary music teachers, one phys ed teacher, one librarian, one technology teacher and three part-time hall monitors.
If the voters didn’t go for a 3.81 percent tax rate increase, they likely wouldn’t favor a 5.72 percent tax rate increase, White noted.
“I can’t see raising taxes as much as we’ve discussed tonight,” Maxon agreed.
Tiballi pointed out it was a 50/50 proposition.
Either the people who wanted lower taxes (more cuts) or those who were in favor of restoring the items that were cut from the budget would be angry with the board.
“It’s back in the voters’ hands,” she said.
[poll=14]
missing or outdated ad config
WHy not cut the 4% raises they just gave the admin assist? HOw much would that save? How about cutting the assist to the assist position that was just filled for Ms Chamberlain? There are cuts to be made that would NOT affect the children!!! Those are what we want done! Cut the high end administration positions that they keep adding !!!
I voted for Dave White last week. Only 10 days later he has made me greatly regret my vote. What is he doing?! What is Sean Madden doing?! What is Dan Hoefer doing?! Why are they ignoring our votes?! [Personal attack removed here.] We voted NO to higher taxes so you three and Tschudy decide its your job to punish us and raise taxes even MORE? Shame on all three of you! Dan Hoefer, please don’t become [Personal attack removed here] pro-OCTA. Now Dan, you are buying into the OCTA propoganda and you voted to increase taxes! [Personal attack removed here.]
All 1956 people who voted no on May 20 need to go b ack out and vote NO on June 17
Maybe you should consider not giving the teachers a 5 % raise for the next 5 yrs and keep the positions that our children need. Think of our children.. These teachers are over paid and if you compare the stats to other school districts, you would see what we are all upset about.. Raising taxes is BS…
Programs are necessary for functioning education system… not a dozen high end administrators. That is the only way we are unlike other districts. Why do we need so many superintendents? Teachers do not get paid what most think, that’s not the problem.
I feel that if teachers would like to save other teachers jobs than maybe they should be willing to give back part of the wage increase and agree to contributing more to their healthcare insurance. The small amount that the contribute is peanuts to what others pay including thoses that actually work in healthcare. Other unions have done just that in order to save fellow employees.
Leanne, you should check your incorrect figures. Richard, I voted no because I wanted programs and positions put back, so no, I think I can confidently vote “yes” for this budget.
I for one voted no because of the cuts to the elementary PE, art, music and library positions. I feel any of the board members that support replacing the positions are the ones looking out for the kids. I also believe there are a great number of people that voted this way as opposed to just the tax increase. You can not have a 0% tax increase over a number of years and not face these kind of problems. Thank you for putting an amended budget back up for vote.
Well Roger and Howard, if we had honest board members then your “no” votes would have been for the wrong reasons. We were very clearly told in the budget newsletter that voting no would NOT restore any positions. It was spelled out in no uncertain terms. The newsletter basically said if you want more cuts vote no, if you don’t want more cuts then vote yes. However, we have 4 board members who obviously did not read the newsletter and did not listen to the sentiments of voters. OCTA tried to say that they promoted a no vote because they wanted things restored but I feel that this was probably not true. [Insult removed here.] I think OCTA was defeated in this election. When I went to vote, there were teachers in line in front of me saying they hope the budget passes.
Sorry for 2 comments in a row but I want to make my point better. My point is that I feel very deceived. It is unfair to me and others who voted no for the same reasons as me. I received the newsletter from the district. I read it. The newsletter told us that if the budget failed, then it is very likely that the tax rate increase would be lowered and more cuts would be made. I wanted lower taxes and more cuts so I voted no with the assumption that the district would be honest and uphold their promises.
I did not know that my choices would be “high taxes – vote yes” or “even higher taxes – vote no.” If I knew that this was what I was going to get I would have voted yes and I am sure many others would have as well. I feel directly deceived and lied to. I have voted “no” each and every year since the budget voting privilege was extended to Oswego but if I knew this was going to happen, I would have voted yes.
I know all the teachers want cuts restored but they never once seem to be thinking of the taxpayers who do not make the rich salaries that OCTA teachers make. Most taxpayers are not getting a 22% salary increase to compensate for the increase in taxes. If there was an OCTA wage freeze this year, not one single cut would have been necessary. But in the end, OCTA got their cake and ate it too by spinning the no vote into something it was not.
Richard, please don’t assume that everyone who voted no was placing that vote on the tax rate. My vote is my private business. [Personal comment removed here.]
I like a lot of people do not agree with cutting positions that benefit students. Teachers people say are overpaid, but with the amount of education that is required of teachers in New York State (a master’s degree), which means a pretty steep student loan payment, and the service they provide to the children, I don’t think they are overpaid. And if there are other districts around the state that start at a higher rate then the teachers here. Those states that do not pay teachers well do not require a teaching degree oftentimes or a bachelors degree at all. I do however believe there are to many high paid administrators in the district, and that is what needs to be looked at.
Chris:
Do the teachers really need a 22% salary increase? Is any other person in Oswego guaranteed to have their salary rise 22% by the year 2011?
Do they need to be paid several thousand dollars to watch the kids get off the bus?
Do they need to be paid a few hundred to “advise” a club with few to no students? God forbid they volunteer their time to “do it for the kids”?
Do they need to be paid a few thousand to be “department chairpersons”?
Can’t they possibly pay more for their health coverage?
How about the music teachers who get to double dip? They are paid their regular salary and then get a $3000+ stipend for things that should be part of their regular salary – like being the “Choral Director” or things like that. Look it up in board meeting minutes if you don’t believe me.
Do they really need longetivity payments on top of their 4% yearly raises?
Can’t the OMS/OHS teachers possibly be in front of the students for more than five 40-minute periods per day?
Oh and about the education they need – let’s keep in mind that for having their masters degree, OCTA teachers get $900 added to their base salary. This isn’t a one time payment. It is built in for the rest of their careers. For a teacher teaching 30 years they get a $27,000 return on their degree. Even more than that because the $900 that is tacked on is part of the basis used to calculate the 4% per year raise or any percentage raise.