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I agree that all spending throughout the city needs to be looked at. It is time that elected officials put a hold on excessive spending but avoid deferring expenses that may cost us more in the future. While we need to take action, we cannot continue to blindly approve or cut expenses without determining what the ramifications may have on our city’s future.

My gratitude goes out to the School Committee for not considering Mr. Mullen’s “wish list” for at least another five administrators that he was unable to include in this year’s budget proposal. With that said my concern for the validity of this budget intensified when the original estimate for repairing the “varsity locker rooms” went from $56,000 to a second estimate of six figures or up to a half a million dollars. How do numbers change so quickly? What are these numbers based on? It appears that the school department’s figures lack substance.

Before we start closing schools, bussing students for up to 45 minutes each way to and from school, at a negligible savings, not to mention a decrease in the market values of our homes; could we at least make sure these numbers are correct? Mr. Mullen has used two separate sets of numbers to determine student population levels in two different presentations. In addition, when asked which schools would go where Mr. Mullen said that had yet to be determined but once the Short Term Planning Committee notes were published, the bussing estimate only included one scenario. Oakland Beach, Lippitt and Park would be bussed to Winman. Sherman and Warwick Neck would then be going to Aldrich. If bussing fell into a different configuration might this not change the cost?

Please let us stand together as a community, contact your elected officials and demand not only honesty, integrity and transparency but accuracy from the people we pay to represent us and our agencies.

From: School budget gets cool reception

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