Politics at its worst.
That was the reaction of First Selectwoman MaryAnn Drayton-Rogers Tuesday, upon learning that the town’s Board of Finance rejected a $1.8 million project to install a metal roof and add 410 solar panels to the Great Oak Middle School.
The Finance Board rejected the project 3-2 Monday. Republicans on the board voted against it. Democrats voted for it. Jack Kiley, a Republican, abstained, saying the board needed more time to make a decision.
The project — as envisioned by the school’s roof and solar panel committee — was supposed to replace the school’s 20-year-old asphalt roof.
It’s been in the pike for awhile — and the money was budgeted in the town’s 2009 capital plan.
“I am extremely disappointed and angered by the votes cast by members (Lila) Ferrillo, (Tom) Kelly and (Richard) Burke,” Drayton-Rogers said in an e-mail. “This is Oxford politics at its worst.”
Drayton-Rogers sent her comments via e-mail because she is on vacation this week.
Drayton-Rogers said the Republicans on the Finance Board ignored the work of the bi-partisan committee formed to examine the roof issue.
“The (Board of Selectmen) appointed a bi-partisan committee to replace the roof and install solar panels at the Great Oak Middle School; we did not appoint a committee of three Republican BOF members to make a political decision on this safety and health matter,” she wrote in an e-mail.
While Drayton-Rogers labeled the move politics, Finance Board Chairwoman Lila Ferrillo said her group was simply “doing its job.”
Ferrillo said the board’s duty to taxpayers is make sure any project is cost effective. The Finance Board had to look at the bigger financial picture, she said.
“The committee’s recommendation had no options,” Ferrillo said. “We would rather give the taxpayers a choice instead of ramming something down their throats. ‘All or nothing’ is not a choice.”
According to an audio recording of Monday’s meeting, the Finance Board members acknowledged the roof needs to be replaced.
Burke felt the project was too expensive.
While reviewing the recommendation, Burke wondered how a leaky roof turned into a solar panel project.
The town is eligible for a $324,000 grant from the state’s Clean Energy Fund to purchase the solar panels — and $180,000 in reimbursements from the Department of Education for the roof replacement.
The town would have to come up with $667,000 for the project. Spending the money would require taxpayer approval at referendum.
Democrat Nancy Schmitt worried the grant money would disappear with the Finance Board’s rejection, according to the audio recording.
The next Board of Selectmen meeting is April 22.
1) Republican BOF members deny a much needed project for the school system
2) Republican BOE members eliminate the Asst. Principle at Great Oak eventhough they weren’t smart enough to do their homework and realize their move would only save $2,000 and actually eliminate a Teaching position at the same time
3) Republican BOE members fire the School Board Attorney, one that has been with Oxford for 20 years
4) Republican BOE members hold meetings until 3am and keep school administrators waiting in limbo
5) Republican BOE Executive Members hold their own, unpublicized meetings to hire a new attorney
6) Republican BOE members work with other Republican BOF members and ex-Republican BOE members to craft a budget to their liking
7) Republican BOE Chairman, Queen McKinnon, eliminates the 2nd Audience of Citizens portion of BOE meetings and puts a 3-minute time limit on members of the Audience
8) Republican BOE Chairman, Queen McKinnon, holds numerous Special Meetings in place of Regular meetings to limit the amount of Audience participation
9) Republican BOE Chairman, Queen McKinnon, does away with the BOE Budget hearings that have been taking place the last few years, thus limiting public input on the BOE’s budget
…the list goes on and on…
The above examples show you that this group of Republican BOE members have their own agenda and that it is to do more harm then good by limiting what people can say and getting rid of the people who are not like-minded with their warped ways of thinking!
Seems like sour grapes to me. Dems don’t have control and are whining about everything. Repubs are trying to plug the holes created by the dems one at a time. No more political allys being in bed with people or companies looking for there own benefit…
May McKinnon rule forever!! Long live the queen!!
The board of finance took away our ability as a town to VOTE and DECIDE whether or not we wanted this project. I think that each one of us should attend the next April 22 meeting of the BOF and ask them why. The choice not to send this to the voters reeks of politics. This board was elected to represent the town. They clearly are only representing a very small group. Did you know that the board of education chair voted against the metal roof back in early 2009. Why?? They want an asphalt roof.. There are so many advantages of the metal roof.. yet they can not give us the information and let us make up our minds. I believe the voters in Oxford are smarter than the BOF will admit.The town can obtain grant money for this project. Why not do it now? The economy is right for this project. Bids were lower than expected due to the lack of work in the construction field now.. What are we going to do?? Wait for economy to improve, lose grant money and have to pay more.. Way to go BOF. Another example of the poor behavior of some affecting the majority. Remember you the voter elected these people. If you dont agree, send them a letter, or show up at the April 22, 2010 meeting at 7:00 at Town Hall. Anyone know of a way to overturn this decision?
Not political, B.S.!!!
The Rep. majority on the BOF is willing to throw away $400.000+ in grant money to install a long life, almost maintenance free roofing system along with an energy saving solar panel project that will literally pay for itself within 7 yrs and continue to lower energy costs year after year. Who said they don’t have their head where the sun don’t shine?
How many times does it take this town to realize these same old people have an agenda against anything that is positive for the town brought forward by other town officials from another party? Mr. Yish is a Rep. who voted for this project, was astonished. These people are in the dark ages, highly politically motivated against the Dem. and anything good brought forward. PEOPLE, WAKE UP!!
Last time I checked, “yes” or “no” is a choice Ms. Ferrillo. Stop playing politics with town business or get out. Let the people decide at referendum. This action is unconscionable, arbitrary, and capricious.
Dowhatright;
you have the same mentality as they do, tunnel vision, no sunshine, try coming up for air.
The citizens whether republican, independent or democrats should be angry about this decision. The BOF made a choice for the town without letting us vote. They have basically taken away my right as an AMERICAN to vote for things that affect my town and my family.
How many people that commented here are from the the roof committee or are dems elected or formerly elected. My guess is all. BOF made the right move for the town not the special interests and elected dems…
I am not an elected democrat, on the roof committee or formly elected member of the community.
The problem with the BOF, and the BOE, is they truly believe they more than anyone else. They accept no outside opinions. Their arrogance is frightful. By the way I’m not an elected official, not on the roof committee or a democrat.
Hi all,
Thank you for debating the issue here. May I request the term ‘Queen McKinnon’ stopped being used?
Everyone seems to be making solid points.
No need for name calling, right?
Thank you!
Eugene Driscoll
Editor/Moderator/Reporter/Etc.
I bet if it were a different Republican chairing the committee other than Bob DeBisschop, the BOF would have passed it. The Republicans hate him and this is very well known. The vote was totally political and sorry, I am not on the “roof committee, Democrat elected or formerly elected.” Mr. Yish voted for the project so why did the Republican majority controlled BOF members go against him???
It appears Mr. Yish is an intelligent person who votes his conscience, rather then vote the way he is told to vote by the RTC. This is why he is starting to not be liked or respected by them. The RTC thought they were going to be able to make him do what they want, but Mr. Yish is smarter then that. I hope Mr. Yish continues to do what is right and best for the town rather then listening to the Republican rhetoric of Ferrillo, Kelly, Burke, and Palmer!
I find it interesting that people are discouraged from calling someone a “Queen,” but are not being discouraged from saying “no more political allys being IN BED with people or companies looking for there own benefit” is allowed. That comment is uncalled for and “DoWhatsRight” gets away with it . . .
DoWhatsRight: I am not a Democrat but a registered Republican in fact and a former elected official to boot. My feeling is that the the BOF triumvirate are way off base on this and are way too full of themselves. This is clearly payback aimed at Mr. DeBisschop. No one has made mention yet of who is going to foot the bill for the architectural fees and bidding costs if the project does not get built. No construction equals no state reimbursement.
Most of you writing your political rhetoric of arrogance and politics reminds us of the current White House administration. Obama Hussein Obama and the democratic controlled congress narrowly passed this health care program. Backroom deals, lack of transparency and dirty tricks is not what the American people want. American voters mostly disapprove of the health reform. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts that our debt will be 90% of GDP by 2020. Obama and the democratically controlled congress, how about listening to the will of the people?
It would appear to me that Mr. Kelly, Mr. Burke, and Ms.Ferrillo, think of themselves as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost…
I certainly hope the voters of Oxford wake up and vote these incompetents off the board. I’m sure there are other republican’s who are truly interested in what is best for the town and not ego driven political antics!
Hmmm… did I touch a nerve? Mr. Burke is working for the taxpayers – thankfully somebody is…
Hmmm….I’m a taxpayer and Mr. Burke is certainly not working for me when he throws away grant money, prevents a school roof from being repaired, stops a green energy project from going forward and creates a report with incorrect, half truths to try to backup his opinion. What is the problem with being able to work with other committees and elected officials to ‘DoWhatsRight’? I think both of you are missing the point of what ‘Right’ actually is.
Fact is there should have been 2 proposals from the committee – one for asphalt and one for the ‘Cadillac’ metal/solar roof plan. Then let the taxpayers decide what they want. And Green is just a code word for tax you so we can call you ‘a planet saver’ and make you feel special…
A bi-partisan COMMITTEE was asked to fix a leaking, old school roof and after much hard work and study, they recommended a metal roof. They have stated all the reasons why. They were not asked to bring a choice of two out of three or one out of two, but to recommend what was best. They have. That’s how COMMITTEES work. Your “fact” is bogus. Green is also the color of money and Mr. Burke is throwing money away, not saving any of your tax dollars. You need to keep an open mind to what is going on here and listen to the total presentation of facts.
Take DoWhatsRights comments with a grain of salt because he is a current BOE member who just wrote a conspiratorial Letter to the Editor about other people. He doesn’t know any better and he is a very misinformed & confused person. Its because of people like him and others on Boards that make decisions for political reasons that are really the cause of most issues in Oxford.
I agree, the committee was to make a recommendation on the fix, not prepare a Chinese menu for the Board of Finance. I usually don’t like “green” projects because they are more about appearance than substance but in this case you have a school that is heated by ELECTRICITY! Solar panel would have had a major positive impact on operational costs.
It is unfortunate that adults can not have a mature discussion. Many of the comments posted here have been thoughtless and simply politically driven, and in a nasty sense I might add.
Most of the comments remind us of the now defunct http://www.oxford-news which thankfully died a just death. I sense that many of the nameless commentators here are tha same folks who spread the hurt and lies on that website.
Do this electronic paper a favor and try to raise the level of your comments.
A thank you to Eugene Driscoll for attempting to keep this somewhat human.
Peace, Common Sense
CS = DB
I agree with C-S that it’s best to keep the discussion civil. There are more than enough actions taken by the Oxford Boards to criticize on merit alone. But it is the high of hypocrisy to talk about politics and nastiness when that is what motivates our BOF and BOE.