The Seymour Board of Finance voted 5-2 Wednesday to allocate a $500,000 increase for the Seymour school district.
School district officials, after several years of flat funding, had requested a $1.2 million increase.
“This is not a good day for the Seymour schools,” Bruce Baker, a member of the school board, said Thursday.
“‘I’m not sure what it will result in, but it will result in nothing good, if it stays at that level,” Baker said, when asked if the less than requested increase would result in program cuts or layoffs.
A message seeking comment was left with school Superintendent MaryAnne Mascolo.
Press play at the video at top to see video from the meeting. Video was provided by resident Frank Loda. The video will also air Thursday at 8 p.m. on Cable 10, Loda said.
Robert Koskelowski, the former first selectman who is now chairman of the finance board, said the taxpayers cannot afford to fund the amount school officials wanted.
“We just couldn’t, the people couldn’t afford it,” Koskelowski said, indicating he did not believe there would be an adverse impact on the schools.
The vote fell along party lines, with Republicans Peter Jezierny, Bill Paecht, Michelle Walsh, Jay Hatfield and Koskelowski in favor, and Democrats Kristen Harmeling and William Sawicki opposed.
Several residents at the meeting spoke in favor of the education proposal.
Last year the budget was approved on the fourth referendum. Voters had rejected the budget even though it had a zero percent increase.
The school budget now going to voters would be $29.61 million, rather than the $30.2 million requested, Koskelowski said. The current budget is 29.1 million. That would be a 1.7 percent increase.
The voters have the final say, Koskelowski said.
“A $500,000 increase is going to be a tough sell in this economy,” Koskelowski said.
“We just couldn’t, the people couldn’t afford it,” Koskelowski said. Rather presumptuous of the former First Selectman, considering he and his fellow republicans refused to allow the voters to actually say so in a vote. The BOE budget increase would have amounted to less than a dollar a day increase in taxes for the average household. How many of those households have occupants who line up like sheep at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks for a coffee that costs 3 times that daily price? I, too, am a Republican and preach fiscal prudence whenever possible, but in this case, after years of zero-to-minuscule budget increases for the Seymour BOE, logic and concern MUST supersede the ignorance of blatant party politics. Jay Hatfield—-lamented what would happen if the current budget was presented as-is to the voters. “I’d hate to see it voted down like it was last year.” Yeah, I hate seeing the democratic process work as it is intended, too. Really? The people were clear at all of the meetings that led to this vote: present the BOE budget as-is and let the voters decide. Not a single dissenting voice was ever heard at any meeting, yet the BOF voted 5-2 to butcher the proposal before it reached the people of Seymour. Fed up with anti-education voters, I was sure that this year the pro-education turnout at the polls would finally prevail, and I’m confident that will still happen…just with another sub-par funding effort being the end result.
So I guess the Fire Department is S.O.L. for the needed rescue truck to help the community for free.
That is using your head!
This is only the beginning! What about the other departments? Just because people don’t go to these meetings doesn’t mean they don’t know what is going on. People at meetings don’t speak for me.
My vote speaks for me. Its about time we start living within our means and present honest budgets
not ones loaded with fat!
Cage–I was very disappointed by that vote as well. I think the people of Seymour have gotten accustomed to thumbing their noses at budget increases, and therefore this disturbing trend continues. My father gave 30+ years of his life to the SFD–for free–so I hate to see the FD’s needs discarded by the people who are too ignorant to research a budget but manage to get out and vote anyway. Spanky–I’m not surprised by your comment. Here’s some homework though–read the BOE budget proposal and get back to us with “the fat” that you claim there is. You must be well versed in that budget prop, right? Otherwise you’d just be regurgitating generalized comments without facts to back them up…
Just shows you don’t know anything about town budgets………………..everyone of them has fat. In the BOE budget they say the dollars are being spent here but are spent where they damn well please to spend. The system is broke at the state level. What don’t you understand????Smoke and mirrors with the BOE as usual.Please don’t stay up to late doing your home work! Oh by the way I’m talking to YOU not us.