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BREEZE ARCHIVES:
7/2/2009 |
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For No. Smithfield schools: $1.2 million in cuts coming
Hamilton under fire from all sides as ’10 budget passes
NORTH SMITHFIELD – After grappling with the numbers all evening Tuesday, the Town Council here was unable to eke out any additional school funding, leaving the School Department $1.2 million short and one leader claiming Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton’s administration is both “incompetent” and “indifferent” to the schools’ needs.
It took more than five hours for the Town Council to reach a consensus on a combined $34 million budget for the 2010 fiscal year that will mean a 4.75 percent tax increase for North Smithfield residents. But it was the questions over school funding and who would be determining a 2011 budget that stole the show.
Hamilton was under fire from all sides Tuesday: from School Committee members for failing to give the schools any additional funding of the $800,000 appropriation increase they had sought for the 2010 school year, and from Town Council members who said she tied their hands when she finally hired a new finance director last month at the former director’s salary.
School Committee Chairman Robert Lafleur told The Breeze after Tuesday’s budget meeting that the decision to give the schools just $4 more than last year will likely mean an additional $900,000 in cuts beyond the $353,000 they were able to carve out prior to Tuesday’s budget hearing.
“In the 35 years I’ve been going to budget meetings, never have I witnessed a group of individuals behind that table who knew so little about what they were doing,” said Lafleur, who clarified that he was speaking of those behind Hamilton’s table and not the Town Council.
School Committee members, who found $353,192 in additional cuts prior to Tuesday’s meeting, including the elimination of four teachers, say they’re also looking to make an additional $962,795 in cuts at meetings next Monday, July 6, and Tuesday, July 7.
The total $1.2 million in cuts and changes to the school program could include:
• The eradication of middle school and junior varsity school sports, for a savings of $47,680;
• The elimination of full-day kindergarten, for a savings of $52,000;
• The cutting of four full-time and one part-time high school teaching positions, for a savings of more than $218,000;
• The elimination of one full-time and one part-time middle school teaching positions, for a savings of $93,697;
• The termination of one grade 5 teacher, for a savings of $62,465;
• Leaving vacant the North Smithfield Elementary School assistant principal position, for a total savings, with benefits included, of $102,000;
• Cutting two custodians, one maintenance person, a clerk and a secretary, for a total savings of $251,760;
• Deleting $10,000 from the schools’ ice rental budget;
• And $62,100 realized in new electricity savings at the middle school.
The school budget did get one boost when the council inserted more than $200,000 in what they had expected to be an additional cut in state aid to North Smithfield’s overall budget.
The total appropriation to the schools for the next year is $21,094,090, compared to $21,094,086, for a total increase of just $4.
School leaders may also choose to ignore what they call unfair mandates from the state, said Lafleur, and may drop state-required school bus monitors, establish a fee structure for school sports or institute fees for full-day kindergarten.
Lafleur was especially angry at Theodore Przybyla and Donald Gray, North Smithfield’s part-time finance directors, who urged council members to go ahead with a plan to replenish the town’s surplus funds with $100,000, even as the schools suffer.
“It’s mind-boggling and it concerns me as a taxpayer that no one knows what’s going on in this community,” said Lafleur. “Not once did any of the three interim or part-time finance people, including the town administrator, come in and ask for information about our budget. We have never had that happen before.”
Hamilton had defended her level funding proposal for the schools, agreeing with a Budget Committee recommendation that there were still cuts to be had in the School Department.
Hamilton’s proposal, if approved, would amount to the maximum allowable 4.75 percent increase in the town’s tax levy, or amount collected in taxes, but no additional funding would go to schools.
In last week’s edition of The Breeze, school leaders were quoted as saying that a “verbal commitment” was made between the School Committee and Town Council in 2008 on a plan to fund the schools up to the maximum allowable appropriation for two years after school leaders agreed to return $373,000 in surplus funds and a payment from the Northern Rhode Island Collaborative to the town. A council that included three current members agreed to give an additional $496,000 to the School Department to open up the new North Smithfield Middle School.
After urging Town Administrator Paulette Hamilton for months to get a full-time finance director in place, the council Tuesday unilaterally slashed the salary of incoming Finance Director Cheryl Ficarra just six days before she was to start next Monday, July 6.
“You’ve been asking me to get a finance director,” said a noticeably upset Hamilton. “She starts on Monday and I think this is grossly unfair.”
“I am certain now that she will not accept the position,” said Hamilton.
Council members, who were angry that Hamilton had hired Ficarra at the $79,160 salary spelled out in North Smithfield’s wage ordinance, would later reverse their 3-2 decision to cut Ficarra’s salary 20 percent, by $15,000 to $63,328 after dire warnings from Przybyla and Town Solicitor Richard Nadeau if they did so.
“I hope you’re understanding the litigation that you’re facing here. It’s extraordinary,” Przybyla reiterated after the vote. “You’re going to get to $100,000 in no time. This woman files suit and you’re going to blow through this $15,000 in no time.”
“We’re in a legal jackpot here,” said Councilor Paul Zwolenski, who voted with councilors Paul Leclerc and Steven Biron to cut the salary before reversing his decision. After council members learned of the ramifications of cutting Ficarra’s salary, and reflected on the fact that she already quit her higher paying position at Textron, all but Biron changed their vote, reinstating her former $79,000 salary.
Council President David Lovett, who like others appeared exhausted as Tuesday’s meeting approached midnight, urged his fellow council members, whether the decision to hire Ficarra at $79,000 was “right, wrong or indifferent,” to consider that “our finance situation at Town Hall is not good.
“We really need to get on track going forward in the right direction,” he said. “We’re caught between a rock and a hard place on that one.”
Council members, several of whom have indicated they believe Hamilton was responsible for forcing former Finance Director Jill Gemma to leave after she took office last year, stated Tuesday that even at the $63,000 salary, Ficarra would be making more than Gemma when she first started in North Smithfield at a salary of $62,000.
Like Gemma, they said, Ficarra should prove herself over a period of months before she gets any kind of raise.
Hamilton, though, has said Ficarra comes with more experience than Gemma had and claimed that it’s “unfair to pre-judge someone” who hasn’t even started yet.
Several testy exchanges between council members and Hamilton showed that an ongoing rift may be widening between the two branches of town government, who have disagreed in recent months over everything from how to handle the town’s ongoing sewer project to Hamilton’s various budget proposals.
Biron repeatedly expressed frustration Tuesday as his calls for cuts across departments, including eliminating a $10,000 grant writer, cutting Town Council pay by 10 percent, eliminating summer concerts on the common, and reducing the Town Hall maintenance and supply budget, were rebuffed by fellow council members or Hamilton for a variety of reasons.
All five members of the council repeatedly expressed their frustration that they were given several different budget drafts in recent days but that there were still more changes explained Tuesday.
Under the final budget plan approved by the council, North Smithfield will add one police officer, at a base salary cost of $63,440 and a secretary in Tax Assessor Chris Belair’s office, at a full-time salary of $25,644, even though Belair indicated that as of now the demands of the office don’t merit a full-time assistant.
We’d appreciate readers’ thoughts on this story, especially those that provide greater insight and information to all of us.
Please avoid comments that are obscene, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate. If you post offensive comments, we will delete them as soon as we can. If you see such comments, please report them to:
Marcia Green, Editor-in-Chief, The Breeze newspapers
7/8/2009
Jack, No, I am not and never have been a teacher. I do hear what you are saying, but it is not that simple. It would be nice if it was. However, the issue of cost for operating a town thus taxes paid vs income to pay them is tied to a national trend that started in 1976, accelerated from 1981 with the greatest acceleration being 1992 thru 2000. It has lead to the current economic condition. Union scale pay and benefits of today compared to the median, mean or "private" sector are large, however compared to the rise in GDP or compared to what was pre 1976, they are where you should be.
7/8/2009
Daniel: are you a school teacher?? The SIMPLE fact is the cost of education (teacher salaries) have risen at a MUCH higher rate than inflation. This and the cost of pensions are killing us. Can you retire after 28 years at any age? Current teachers can. They can retire in their early 50's at 60% of their salary. Then get another full time job without losing one peeny of their "retiremnt". They get annual cost of living raises - private pensions don't. Again this problem will not be solved until the teacher unions are BROKEN. They have a stranglehold on our kids future and the necks of we poor taxpayers. They MUST BE BROKEN, ITS THAT SIMPLE. DUH!!
7/6/2009
It appears that the town administrator in your town is using something you haven't seen in your government for a long time - BRAINS! I, too, wish the schools had more funds, but the state cut them not the town. It's important that we FINALLY have a full time Finance Director. If the town council was so concerned with the salary for that position, they should have questioned it earlier. Don't they read the Valley Breeze?
7/6/2009
IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE THE ONES WHO DON'T HAVE "A CLUE". HAMILTON TRYS TO WORK HARD FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION. THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE A BUNCH OF CLOWNS WHO NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND REALIZE THAT THEY SHOULD BE TRYING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND NOT CREATE PROBLEMS. THINGS ARE CERTAINLY MUCH BETTER UNDER HAMILTON THAN WHEN WE HAD LOWE....TALK ABOUT INCOMPETENT.........
7/6/2009
Carolyn and Jason L. The police union did vote to take a pay cut in order to save jobs. The agreement was signed by the town administrator then brought to the council where it was quickly denied! Just wanted to clarify that.
7/5/2009
I believe the full day Kindergarten SHOULD have a fee or eliminated. Have we seen students test scores go up dramatically for the students who have had this advantage??? I watch an I have not seen this happen. This is expensive babysitting. Could someone explain to me why eliminating full day kindergarten only saves $52 K? I would think it would save on 2 salaries plus benefits??? Shouldn't that be more than $52,000???
7/4/2009
In case anyone is interested, here is a link to RI munincipal 2008 salary survey: http://www.muni-info.state.ri.us/documents/publications/Salary%20Survey%202008.pdf I understand the need to plan, (I ran on that concept) but the time for planning regarding our current economic condition was 2006 for 2007 and beyond when the first signs of the economy going south were apparent. Now, we just get to do stop gap stuff until we hit bottom and plan that the bottom will not happen until 2010. Can't not raise taxes while there are annual increases in cost simply do to inflation and still expect to keep everything. It is true we harm ourself as we loose expertise, but then we have not been a town, state or nation over the last 38 years that understood where our wealth comes from (See the 2005 World Bank Report. It comes from “human capital”). So, we think the worst thing we can do is pay taxes and of course we all know that every tax dollar paid has all sorts of graft and waste with it all the while not understanding the concept of velocity of money. Hint: it's why promoting local business is always better. With that, we are in a deflationary period with a potentially inflationary energy event that will cycle. The results is just as the economy “seems” to be getting better, energy will go up and stop it. If we do not understand this we'll all be schizophrenic as to our money dealings as we go forward. Makes for very difficult planning. Means things are not as simple as “THAT IS WHERE THE MONEY IS! DUH!! “ Or ...“verbal commitment” was made between the School Committee and Town Council in 2008 on a plan to fund the schools ...” Now I know this will sound bad and counter intuitive but, truthfully the best thing we can do now is to pay what is needed to keep what we have and if possible improve on it. The towns throughout the USA that do such, will be in a position to take advantage of what ever come out the other side of this recession. The ones that don't will play catchup during the rise as oppose to actually advancing. Gemma left on her own accord. Not an unusual thing to happen when there is a change in the position of the boss. Wasn't the raise received also do to the recognition of the low pay for the position? Via the surveys 2006: $63K, 2007: $71K, 2008: $79K Them some big raises just on merit. 25.5% in 2 years all merit? Or using the towns own audit, it's 06/07 to 08/09 14.8% increase. Are we sure it was merit and not base adjustment? Mostly after reading this article I thought "man, do we have a problem with women as town admins?" Or maybe it's just the way the article is written? I don't know, but I do recall Liz Faricy hanging it up after one term of fighting, and Linda just seemed to always be getting crap.
7/4/2009
While temporarily living in upstate NY, but keeping my permanent home in North Smithfield, I have read with great interest the saga of the NS town government. It saddens me to know that politics has interfered with the operation and growth of the town. It is apparent that Ms. Hamilton has gone above and beyond to keep personal agendas and politics out of her decision making only to be criticized for her work. Her tolerance of such antics from her peers only demonstrates her professionalism and commitment to her goals of guiding NS into prosperity and making it a better place to live. In the community that I am currently residing, separates town government from their school system. The town board is elected by the people, as is the school board. They operate on separate budgets, with the school budget voted on by the residents of the school district, while the town budget is voted on solely by the town board. This division of government and academics has been this way for years and has proved to be the most viable and responsible way for these two entities to function. I think it is time for the Town of North Smithfield to seriously consider the division of town government and school budgets.
7/4/2009
Is it possible that the political posturing by Mr. Lafleur, and certain members on the Council, means a run for office in the future????
7/3/2009
Hey Gary! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many cuts have you made in your enviormental place of ownership? I am sure you are now running a minimal crew.I suggest you do the same here in N.S.
7/3/2009
Gary Ezovski: We "beat up" the School Budget for one SIMPLE reason. THAT IS WHERE THE MONEY IS! DUH!! With all due respect, if you don't believe teacher's pay and benefits are EXCESSIVE, then you are indead a fool. Or have relatives who are teachers. Just remember, those teachers are now sitting by their pools or working a second summer job while we taxpayers go to work in order to pay VERY HIGH TAXES to support their 180 day per year well paid jobs.
7/3/2009
Ms. Hamilton is the first Town Administrator we have had who has not been a politician. She is one who looks at all sides of a problem and chooses to work with, not against, those around her. To say that her campaign was not genuine is at best, untrue. For the first time, we have an administrator who is about doing what is best, not what is politically advantageous to her. I applaud Ms. Hamilton for her willingness to stay the course, despite the tremendous hurdles that the economy has presented. To take shots at her selection of Finance director, without having met the person and to have the nerve to reduce the salary of a person who accepted a position in good faith, tendered her resignation and is ready to come on board in a few days, is ludicrous! Perhaps the Council should have consulted the solicitor BEFORE they tried to alter the situation. I don't know how Ms. Hamiliton can retain her composure. Ms. Hamilton's ability to hold the line has resulted in a small tax increase, a budget that is less than last year and level funding for our schools. We cannot ask for more balanced approach to government. For School Committee members, who found $353,192 in additional cuts, shows that their first budget proposal was not the best they could do. It's time we do our best with our budgets and that we get the most from every tax dollar, and that is exactly what Ms. Hamilton is doing and I applaud her for it.
7/3/2009
While all these words and numbers fly, does anyone see a plan for North Smithfield? Did this budget set a clear future course where everyone can understand what can be done? Despite wild accusations, NS has consistently been among the Rhode Island's more frugal communities. While there is always room for critique, our personnel in fire, police, town hall and schools are among the state's lowest paid. In many ways, working conditions and economics justify that circumstance. That said, we still struggle to make ends meet. So what do we do? Is there a finite plan to deal with reality or do we just draw lines and encourage bitter battles between departments. The NS school department produces a transparent budget that allows detailed evaluation. A Budget Committee or Adminstrator's recommendation or a Town Council decision for a different budget that offers no suggestion as to where cuts should be made is not contributing to a plan. Recent budgets have caused random reduction in almost every department. We have lost valuable expertise at least in public works, water, sewers, finance, and schools. This year we apparently have no funds for capital projects even including replacement of police cars. So what is our plan? Beat up on the school department where many know that the Superintendent and staff are working hard to find cost efficiency and improved student performance and produce the most transparent budget the town has probably ever seen? Which department do we cast random numbers at next year? Fire? Police? If we believe salaries are the problem, doesn't leadership need to set a course by saying where we nned to be? If benefit cost is the issue, don't all departments need the same target? If staffing is the question, do we establish a means for determining appropriate levels? If state rules are the issue can we organize to change legislation? North Smithfield Schools are not perfect. Rhode Island's system of collective bargaining makes it very difficult for a district with one of the lowest salary scales in the state to go lower but many things are still possible. We have serious challenges that won't be solved by errant accusations and random choices in budgets. At the budget hearing a few weeks ago there was rational discussion of many department budgets. Trash disposal of about $200,000 received more specific and logical discussion than schools with a budget at ten times the value. Think about that. These are pressing times. If we fail to establish a plan to meet the challenge we will only force reduction of more talent in more departments to a point where every department lacks the resources it needs to perform. A budget should be part of a plan that has reasonably acheivable targets. Does anyone see a plan for North Smithfield in this random process?
7/2/2009
It is mind boggling that Mr. Lafleur can comment on a budget when he has no budgeting experience or degree in finance. Let's review the facts; the school department is approximately 62% of the towns budget and if we add in the debt servicing for a new school and state of the art football field that the town did not need the school department is 66% of the towns budget or approximately $22.4M of the $34M. Now as some who has over 20 years experience in budget, forecasting and contract negations I can easily say that Mr. Lafleur does not know how to control a budget, negotiate a contract or creatively reduce a budget. So let me give Mr. Lafleur some suggestions on how to reduce the towns school budget in the future. 1) negotiation in the next teachers contract a 5% reduction in teachers salaries (the teachers will not leave because they are the highest paid in the state), 2) implement a program whereby parents pay for athletic programs (pay to play or do some fund raising), 3) negotiate a 30% co pay for teachers benefits (like private industry), 4) use the State of RI United Health plan instead of Blue Cross, 5) increase benefit plan doctor and hospital co pays and yearly minimums and maximums and 6) reduce the amount of administrative support and put the burden on the school teachers making the teachers work a full 8 hour day. I do not think that Mr. Lafleur understands the finance side of just continuing to increase the spending and increase taxes. We need to become creative in our spending. For example private school teachers make a great deal less but have higher test scores. If we look at the numbers Mr. Lafleur states a cost of $11,417 per student for 07-08 compared to a top notch private school in the area of $9,200 per student or 14% less. I think Mr. Lafleur and the residents of North Smithfield need to take a hard look in the mirror and decide if Mr. Fleur is the right man for the job on the school committee. After seeing Mr. Lafleurs performance, unprofessional demeanor and lack of regard for the tax rate at last week a the budget hearing I will not be voting for him in the next election and urge all citizens to do the same.
7/2/2009
You guys can stand around and whine all night about everything EXCEPT what really counts - TEACHER PAY AND BENEFITS!! NOTHING will change until the "powers" take on the teacher unions. All the above "crying" is chump change compared to what is spent on the teachers. WAKE UP or SHUT UP!
7/2/2009
I say if we want to save money on the budget. Pull the plug on ALL BUSSINg never mind just the monitors. Lets open a trash transfer station and recycling center and stop wasting money on VERY EXPENSIVE waist haulers. Many towns in the State and Ma. have this and save TONS of money.Everone is always looking in the wrong place to save......lets try BOTH of these!
7/2/2009
So Robert, what are the facts that you think you know? You accuse but give no information.
7/2/2009
The quote by Mr Laleur stating that the part-time or interim finance director and Mrs. Hamilton didn't ask any questions about the school department budget isn't true. Mrs. Hamilton, Mr. Gray,Mr. Przbyla, and the Town Council did have joint meetings with the School Committee at the new Middle School. The '09 budget and the '10 budget were both items on the agenda for discussion. As recently as Saturday June 20th there was a joint meeting. Mr. Leclerc and Mr. Biron were not there. What is truly mindboggling is even with this "open communication" between the elected officials, no one is actually listening!!!With all the cuts that have taken place within the school department budget over these past several years it will start to have an effect on the students' test scores. Our kids will no longer get a top notch education and will not be competetive with their couterparts in the college acceptance process. Who do we point the finger at then? Ourselves? Who should we blame then?
7/2/2009
I am astounded that the Town Council members waited until June 30th to have a discussion about the Finance Director's salary. That discussion should have taken place on June 23rd at the budget hearing or perhaps even before that when Mrs. Hamilton announced that she would be appointing Mrs. Ficarra to that position. Talk about grand standing! Do your homework councilors!!!
7/2/2009
Carolyn and John, YOU BOTH DON'T Have a CLUE!!!!. Your 30 years of government and budget planning and variety of positions you apparently have held leads me to believe that YOU are one of the dysfunctional people running the asylum!. Your variety of positions certainly raises questions of competence and ability to absorb information. Carolyn, you are a perfect example of not knowing the FACTS! John and Carolyn, Move on and Move OUT!
7/2/2009
Yes, non-union employees took pay cuts. However, union employees voted to give their members layoffs. Three police officers and five municipal union positions were affected in that layoff. As for the finance director position, how do you know what efforts the administrator made to fill the position? Are you her assistant? Were you involved in the process? Probably not. She did hire Ted Przybyla and after seeing the mess that was left by the prior administration and the impossible staffing structure imposed by prior Town Councils, he came to the conclusion he wouldn't be able to do the job effectively with the staffing in place so he backed out shortly before he was due to take the position. Do you know the incoming finance director? Have you worked with her? Or are you making your comments based on hearsay? Take the time to learn about Mrs. Ficarra. Meet with her. Work with her. I hope that the Council has the presence of mind to adapt a TEAM approach, something they have failed to do thus far. They are more interested in political grandstanding in public than communicating and working for the good of the ENTIRE community.
7/2/2009
I have had more than 30 years experience in government planning and budgeting. After a significant number of conversations with Ms. Hamilton I agree that North Smithfiled has a number of serious problems fiscally but none that were of her doing initially. These problems emanate primarily from inappropriate, long-established, departmental policies. She is, however, making a bold effort to begin rectifying the disservice that prior town officials have allowed to happen to this town. The Budget Committee began the process this year of asking leading questions in order to expose as many areas of potential efficiencies and savings as possible in the short time frame we had. I believe that Ms. Hamilton and our Town Council have done a very commendable job in trying to holf the line and asking for accountability. Ther is one very important thing that I learned over my years in Federal, State and Municipal civil service and that is that no government department or organization readily and willingly searches for efficiency or strives for meaningful savings unless put into a position where they are required to do so. This is one thing that all taxpayers should keep in mind at all times. Remember to hold your elected officials, department heads and other civil servants accountable. They have a fiduciary responsibility to you. When you see those officials acting in a fiscally responsible way, such as the Administration and Council are doing now, praise their efforts as well. Thank you.
7/2/2009
You need to get your facts straight there, Carolyn. The only town workers that 'took' a pay cut were the non-union folks because they had no choice. They alone suffered. While it is true that the school department and its top-heavy, over-paid administration have been bleeding the town for years, it does not relieve the administrator from responsibility to bring in a trained and qualified finance director in a timely manner (like during the most critical budget process the town has even seen) and letting those department heads, who 'know' what they're doing, do their jobs. Go to a few council meetings and listen carefully and see if you can even figure out what the administration is doing before you pass out too many kudos.
7/2/2009
Ms. Hamioton talked a good show during the election but now you are really seeing that she doesn't have a clue on running a town or doing a budget...Good luck
7/2/2009
I think taxpayers voted for the right person. Ms. Hamilton, who was accused of being a stalking horse for the school department, certainly proved that she is working for ALL taxpayers. Taxpayers have asked for someone to hold the line on expenses. She presented a budget that doesn't spend more than what the taxpayers are willing and able to give. Out of a $34 million budget the school department is getting $22 million. Town hall expenditures were reduced across the board. How about the school department? When the state took away municipal funding, who took pay cuts and layoffs? Town workers. Did ANY school department employee take a pay cut or a layoff? NO! And, by the way, the highest paid workers in the town are ALL in the school department. They need to make sacrifices just like everyone else. Taxpayers are grappling with employers who have increased their co-pays for health insurance while also freezing their pays or asking employees to take pay cuts. It's reality for the taxpayers. Why shouldn't the school department employees begin to experience reality like the rest of us?
7/2/2009
When you elect someone with absolutely no knowledge of how to run a town, then what kind of results can you possibly expect? Obviously, the majority of voters thought her rhetoric was based on substance. Or was it just a 'spite vote' against the guy who at least had an idea of how to do it. You get what you voted for!
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