More Money For School System????
Under New Business the Commission was informed that $41,245.00 had to be moved into the School funds for "Maintenance of Effort". The question was asked by two different Commissioners. "Where will this money come from?" The explanation that was given and left many in the room shaking their head in disbelief was that "there was a shortage created by reduced income from sales taxes and the money would come from the sales tax." Not being a financial whiz I along with many others was left dumb-founded. If the problem was created by the fact there was less sales tax revenue coming in, how can more tax revenue be given to the school system to rectify the situation? Could it be that a greater percentage of the sales tax will be given to make up for this short fall and if it is does that mean the same percentage will be required next year and every year from now on? Have the Commissioners been hood-winked once again by the School System and its cohorts on the Commission.
Once again the vote was taken with out a single Commissioner declaring any possible conflicts of interest in direct violation of state law. Allen Barrett
Once again the vote was taken with out a single Commissioner declaring any possible conflicts of interest in direct violation of state law. Allen Barrett
posted by Allen Barrett | 11:04 PM
34 Comments:
Mr. Barrett,
Why are you so quick to point the accusing finger? Simple economics should teach you that when sales are down, so are sales taxes. That is Economics 101. Where would you propose getting the money?
Exactly who are the individuals within the school system and on the commission who are cohorts of the hood-winking you mentioned?
If the sales tax revenue is down, then how in the world do you take more money from it if it is not there? That should be simple economics also.
The school system should have known that they need money for maintenance before now. It seems funny to me that the school system is asking for more money ever time you turn around. When they got the money last time they should had the maintenance department included.
Money is always being taken from maintenance. Maintenance is always going to be needed. Why short change that line item. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. How much are we paying Jackson these days to run the show?? If all these years this account was not robbed from and repairs done when they were needed, then perhaps this wouldn't be happening. I also would like to know how you get more from somewhere where there isn't any to begin with. It's like rob peter to pay paul. There are some items in the school budget that should be considered priority and this one should be one of them. If all the roofs fall in on our schools then school would not continue to be in session. Wow, Jackson is such a brainiac!!!!
The money was not taken from the "Maintenance Dept" it was over-looked as a need for "maintenence of effort" which is a state requirement and has to be shown by funding in different county departments.
Mr. Barrett pointed out the question was asked, "where would the money come from to be put into the line item and meet the maintence of effort"? Twice the question was asked by different commissioners. There never was a coherent answer or one that made sense. Additionally, Mr. Barrett's topic was that of the 5 commissioners required to "declare their conflict of interest" prior to the vote since they are county employees, none of those with a conflict made the declaration and the Chair of the commission didnt call them on it.
What accusing finger 22 Sept,6:28?
As you mention, "Simple economics should teach you that when sales are down, so are sales taxes. That is Economics 101. Where would you propose getting the money?"
It seems we are asking the same question.
If you have a bucket with twenty ounces of water in it and determine that you need thirty ounces of water would you simply tell some one to get it from the bucket with twenty ounces of water? You see no matter how hard you try or how hard you hope the twenty ounces of water in the bucket will not turn into thirty ounces. So, when the accountant says the bucket is empty because sales taxes are down so we'll just take it from the empty bucket, some folks, including me, just naturally wonder how do you do that? That's called Logic 101.
The "maintenance of effort" phrase has nothing to do with actual maintenance, it's used to basically describe the activity of
providing the same amount of money as the previous year. Allen Barrett
Since so much is being over looked in finance why in the world is Mrs. Garner still employed. Not only her, but it seems that everytime you turn around the school system is asking for more money. Does that not throw up a red flag to the commissioners? Wake up commissioners and school board if yall can't see what is going on then yall need to sit your butts at the house. There is no more money to be handed out. I think it is about time we hold a meeting with the school board, commissioners and Garner like what was held with PES. We might find out then what is going on with the money in the county. Why is Garner letting line items be blank and later on putting in whatever amount Tee wants in it?
Don't look for that to happen anytime soon 2:01. It should and would quite interesting to watch Janet Vanzant stir and squirm while difficult questions are being asked. Same for Garner and Jackson. As far a the Maintenance Line Item. It has been customary for Jackson since he has been the director of schools to rob from one line item to give to the other. Plain and simple it has happened in the past and continues. He pads certain line items so he can steal from it later. He is an outrage!
In July the commission voted for a Financial Management committee meeting to be held to look into the constant problems and errors. Chair of the committee was Bill Holt. He never called the meeting. (Wonder why?) Now Wendell Wilburn replaces Holt, we can expect to see improvement. Yep, I know Wilburn is a school employee as is Holt but expect better things.
Sorry wab, everyone is not as smart as you. But many of us have better bedside manners. That's called Manners 101.
I was at a commission meeting recently and I think I heard them sya that they declared their conflicts for all remaining meetings. I am not sure this is legal or binding but i am pretty sure they said it so that they would no have to read it each and every time they met and take extra time. After all it is just a reading. They are gonna vote how they are gonna vote no matter what they have to read. Just a thought to ponder.
7:10 It seems you don't have manners or smarts. Please explain how you can take money from the sales tax, if it was not there to start with.
7:10 shouldn't that have been sarcasm 101 instead of manners. Seems it was sarcasm in your first comment at 6:28 that WAB struck back at you about.
Someone explain to me how a person can go to the Financial Office and pick up a requested School Budget....one the board HAS NOT SEEN! But someone at the Financial Office said the same school budget was available to the public. I was recently at a board and gcea negotiations meeting where the same budget was shown to the board's team. To say the least, the board's team was surprized by it being in print, given to a private citizen and never seen by the board. OMG! There is a loose connection somewhere.
3:54 while you are right! Jacko is an 'outrage', the people of Giles County are more of an 'outrage' for letting the 'padding' and wasting of monies go on. IF the people of Giles County REALLY cared, they would go in MASS to the board meetings and county commission meetings. There is a saying; 'If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always had!'
Maybe the school system should have realized that the maintenance department needed money also. The money used to build the new central office that is used for socializing then that money should have been used in maintenance and teacher salaries(the ones that deserve a raise). Don't they realize that there is no sales tax to get money from. That money goes to the Sam Davis Stadium. We needed somewhere for the kids to play football at, but we did not have to spend that kind of money. With Speer not bringing in any new businesses or industries the taxes are dropping even more. The people who got laid off and found work in other counties probably shop in the county they work in then the taxes are lost in Giles County thanks to Speer.
If you will listen to the news, There are jobs being lost all over the country. Who is responsible for that?
Sept 22, 7:32 pm
Impossible! Law says commissioners in conflict have to declare prior to every vote in which the outcome could be of personal benefit to them. Please post which meeting you attended where they "declare" for the rest of the year. I want to go read the Minutes from that meeting. If you fail to post then we will know for sure you were only joking.
9:13
I am not the one you accused of sarcasm in an earlier post. However, I am 7:10.
Guess I'm just dumb.
Did the Commissioners give the School Board more money from the county or did Jackson move money from one place to the other?
Sorry, I went to school in Giles County.
Shouldn't the county be in the negative by now as much as they have spent when the taxes are on a decline? If someone who was at the meeting would answer a question for me. Did they not make Jackson or Garner explain why another line item was over looked again? They should be held accountable for their poor job proformance.
6:07 and 6:25
3 years ago the county had a fund balance (excess funds) over $4M. Its now reduced to the state required amount and sinking all the time. According to Ms Garner, the sales tax has increased(!!) during our current economy. Now I would like to know how the school revenue from sales tax declined but the county income increased? Does not make sense.
Two commissioners asked of Garner where the money was coming from and everyone was left shaking their heads as the answer didn't make sense. They passed it anyways. Tee Jackson sat at the back of the room not in his usual spot.
You can't tell me that the taxes have declined majorly. Foreclosure on homes then you don't get property taxes, factories have laid off or closed down then decrease in revenue and the ones that have been laid off are spending a lot less or on food stamps or even moved out of the county. If they were going to give the school system more money then Tee should have seen what he wanted to take it from on the school budget. They keep giving out money that is not there then you know before long property taxes will be increased again. Which idiots voted to give the money?
The school budget is a public document, correct? If so, anyone could pick up a copy, correct? If so, where do I gat a complete copy, and then where do I go to question those who I need answers from?
Listen carefully. Maintenance of Effort has nothing to do with the maintenance department. Someone already said this but apparently nobody read or listened. I don't exactly how it goes but I know that a certain amount of money has to be budgeted according to what was budgeted last year out of county money. If that does not happen the state pulls part of their money out. Jackson does not do bookkeeping, the finance office does. They are aware of the rules. The school system has a lot of weird things like this that have to be done. Someone like Garner that has never done school books would not know all these things. The school system is always different, no fault of the local people.
Real Deadman
All from county finance office.
To: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 12:11:00 AM - good question - Answer? George W. Bush
Need budgets go to County Finance upstairs at Suntrust Bank, Loretta Garner. Find you a good friend with knowledge of budgets or go to an auditor. Then if you have unanswered questions go to the commission budget committee or school board member.
Maintenance of Effort is money that has to be met one year to the next on a budget. If the school board has M of E for (just grabbing numbers)$10,000,000 (not real numbers remember) in 08-09 budget then the commission has to make sure the 09-10 budget shows the same amount, no less, but if board needs more to maintain can give more.
The budgets consist of a General Fund, that is the money used for running the system, and a reserved fund that is semi required by Fed law to keep 3% of your budget in for catastropic emergency. Has not been used yet. And the Fund Balance is what the board asked the commission to take the $250,000 for Federal projects being Special Ed and Federal Projects. Uncle Sam came through with the money on time this time but waits every year to the deadline to pay federal monies to systems. Is this clear as mud to you about money. At this point and time THE MAINTENANCE DEPT. is not involved and money their for projects. The schools are really good about finding money from Grants that helps them get new nice things as well.
836 - nice try, but get real!!!!!!
etch several things in your mind:
Maintenance of effort isn't having to spend as much or more each year, year after year!
A five year average is used as a rough guideline. Another guideline is the BEP formula - we are so far over reasonable spending it's insane. So much money has been thrown at jacko in the past five years, that we could take millions out of the budget & still be over the five year average!
Raiding reserves in the council approved budget opens the door for the spenders to spend on BS & not for necessities. Result (EVERY TIME) money is gone, they're broke, & taxpayers are expected to raise taxes. Answer - NO~!
EZ way out - amend the budget, remove reserve funding - cut spending by rolling back any increase in bureaucracy over past 5 years. Sell the admin building - there's a smaller more appropriate looking place down the street at the corner of the big road that goes to wallyland. I can see jacko on the front porch in a rocker with a set of button up & suspender farmeralls waving at everyone as they drive by. Maybe we could get a bucket full of tayters so Ms. N could join him, look busy & peel tayters & make sure he don't slip off the porch & out into the big road & get run over by something other than the taxpayers.
Start with the school board & make life so miserable for the spenders that they will be ashamed to show up & vote for BS!
I'd say you guys are experts at making life miserable for those you don't like.
7:16 You say 'George Bush'?? Is he related to the 'Mayor/Industral Recuiter'???? You know, the one who has not brought any jobs into the county, let others be lost and collects a HUGE salary. YOU need a REALITY check!!!!!
Hmmmmmm. Why would the recruiter be concerned. His pay goes on whether or not he produces anything. What is his incentive to do something to bring jobs?
Never even knew it was a goal of the 'recuiter' let alone a 'concern'. Seems like getting beer by the drink for the BIG festival on the 10th and 'chasing' skirts is the 'recruiter's' MAIN 'goal' and 'concern'.
Are the children fussing on this blog??
Post a Comment
<< Home