Members of the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation are divided along party lines over how much money to allocate for next year’s budget.

The five Republicans on the tax board are pushing for a tax rate increase of .9 mills. That would give Derby Public Schools a budget-to-budget increase of 3 percent. It would raise taxes next year on a property assessed at $160,000 by $142.

The five Democrats on the tax board support a tax rate increase of 1.3 mills. That would give the schools a 4 percent increase and raise taxes by $208 on average.

The school district had requested a 7.3 percent increase in funding.

Tax Board Chairwoman Judith Szewczyk said Wednesday the tax board is expecting to receive more information from the school district as to what the different funding levels could do to the school district.

The tax board is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers in City Hall to adopt a preliminary budget.

That meeting will feature public comment at the start of the meeting, Szewczyk said.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 17 in Derby City Hall at 1 Elizabeth St.

The five Republicans on the tax board are: Szewczyk, Jeremy Bell, Carolyn Duhaime, Mark Nichols and William Nelson-Cummings.

The five Democrats are: David Anroman, James Butler, Timothy Conlon, Anita Duggato and Carlo Malerba, Jr.

BOAT Agenda 5.10

13 replies on “Derby Tax Board Divided Over Funding”

  1. Hold the line DEMS!…Repubs always go after teachers when their pockets are empty. Lay off some public works before you lay off teachers!

  2. Pasta…first off i think you need a brush up on how city government works….the tax board doesn’t lay anyone off. What happens is the tax board gives the board of ED a check…the board of ED then decides what to do. See the board of could EASILY reallocate some funds to save teachers, but in order to win political points the first thing they cut is teachers and athletics because they want to get the parents fired up and then blame the tax board…this had played out this way in the city for years. The Board of Ed has no accountable they ask for ridiculous increases and when the city won’t give it to them…they blame the Tax board for poor performance…basically say we didn’t get enough money….it is a joke. On a side note…Pasta what is your opinion on the fact that the Board of Ed gave the Super the authority to change grades as he sees fit? I mean why do they need any money for Teachers when the super can just change all the grades…everyone gets an A…i mean that is how i see it…these educators make me laugh they demand all this funding yet when a student doesn’t meet standards…just change the grade…so basically what are we paying for??

  3. To Crashbandit…If you’ve been keeping up with Derby education for the last 20 years you would know that we have underfunded education for a long time. Sadly it is catching up with us now. Read the NEASC report which is printed in its entirety on this website. It tells the story loud and clear about this town not properly funding education. PS A teacher did not change the grade you’re referring to.

  4. Crash Bandit:These are straight out of the Schools policy Books: Only an error can he change the grade!!!
    A. No school board member, school superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, guidance counselor, other teachers, or other administrative staff members of the school or school board shall attempt, directly or indirectly, to influence, alter, or otherwise affect the grade received by a student from his teacher except as otherwise specifically permitted by this Section.

    A teacher’s determination of a student’s grade as a measure of the academic achievement or proficiency of the student shall not be altered or changed in any manner by any school official or employee other than the teacher except as provided in this Subsection.
    (2) A school official or employee having authority pursuant to formally adopted written rules and procedures adopted by the governing authority of the public elementary or secondary school to change a student’s grade can take such action only upon it being determined that the grade is an error or that the grade is demonstrably inconsistent with the teacher’s grading policy.

  6. Pasta you must have missed that story about the Super changing the grade.

    http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/grade_change_controversy_at_derby_high_school/

    The super changed a grade from failing to an Incomplete because the Super didn’t want to hurt the students chances of going to college….the kids father read a speak comparing the Super actions to MLK…and the board of ED allowed the grade change…so who’s truth are you referring to…

    And Mataman…i am all for funding education it is key to having a thriving city…but my issue is the board of Ed mismanages so much it is hard to have confidence in there decision making process. I have read the NEASC report and i also know that the state vastly underfund our community vs other communities of our same elk. Look i thing the Education profession is a joke. They have lost there way….Do me a favor Rent the movie Waiting for Superman…

  7. and for the record i have no agenda. I will not be supporting any candidate this election…you see Pasta…all i said is the truth. I am sorry if you don’t like the fact that it exposes some of the insanity that happens in our city…but it is fact…

  9. Pasta i appreciate your concern but unfortunately i am leaving this state. See i am one of those people in the middle who if i stay could help fix Derby, but it will cost me massive amounts of my hard earned money because State Dems and Unions think that my money is their money. I have put my transfer docs in with my company….FL here i come. IF your a Democrat i hope you realize the human cost of raising taxes. I am in the process of opening a side business but i refuse to do it in this state. Locally i am sad because i love Derby…but to many people are blinded here with petite BS…and once again i will point to the united Methodist homes,…by the way i noticed you seem to ignore the point i made about changing grades….do you care to back the BOE on that one?

  11. It is sad sharpeye….I wish the people in this city would wake up…Pasta i appreciate your offer but i prefer my anonymity. The irony is that this latest tax increase is just a band aid…if the State of CT and a city of Derby lose 5-10% say 500 of productive citizens like me…(by that i mean that the cities population over the last 15 years has been stable but what happens is a guy like me leaves and is replaced by someone on the public dole or less income)because of my lose in production the state and city again will have to raise taxes…continuing to stop growth now multiply that by thousands of people across the state. And this isn’t a theory…all you need to do is look at America’s cities that have had Democratic control…look at New Haven or Hartford, Detroit, Baltimore, DC. IF you show me a city or state that has strong Dem control for decades and i will show you a city or state that is struggling to survive, high crime rates, vacant lots. Eventually the democratic Party kills the American Dream. Look in history..it show all the facts..every American industry that has a Union is dying or putting out a crappy product (Education), if it were for bailouts there would only be one US automaker. We are killing the American dream with our own laziness, greed and ignorance.

Comments are closed.