This Final 2017-2018 Budget Showdown Is About to Begin

The Octorara Board of Directors held their Facilities and Policy Committee Meetings, and the Work Session Meeting on Monday, May 8, 2017. Seven Board members were in attendance. Hank Oleyniczak and Nelson Stoltzfus were both absent.

Final 2017-2018 Budget Vote Countdown

Typically, by this point of the process, there is a level of certainty with the budget. The Octorara Area School Board has already voted to present to the public a 2017-2018 Budget that includes $54 million in expenditures, a 3.2% property tax increase, and a $563,000 expected use of fund balance. In years past, with the exception of some minor updates, that would be the Budget the Board would vote on come June.

However, the very evident public anger over another property tax increase calls this into question. Regardless, the proposed cure may cause more problems than it fixes. We have all seen those pharmaceutical commercials trying to sell you a drug to cure some affliction. But, then comes the list of side effects at the end… may cause insomnia, suicidal thoughts, kidney failure, problems with memory, tremors, nausea, increased appetite and weight gain, fatigue, high blood pressure, and risk of heart attack. Is a cure for toenail fungus really worth all that?

Taxing Less and Spending More

Well, the idea placed into the discussion last month by Brian Norris, and supported by Lisa Bowman, is to have a 2 percent property tax increase, rather than the full Act 1 limit increase of 3.2 percent. The change in the Budget would cause an increase in deficit spending from $563,000 to over $940,000. Moreover, the decrease in revenue, without corresponding budget cuts, will have a compounding effect going into future budgets. This could dramatically impact the financial health of the District. We will start the next budget process with a large revenue deficit before even one new dollar is added for just regular and predictable cost increases.

Discover the 2017 Candidates for the Octorara Area School Board of Directors

The Octorara Board of Directors held their Facilities and Policy Committee Meetings, and the Work Session Meeting on Monday, March 13, 2017. Eight Board members were in attendance. Sam Ganow was absent.

No, we did not receive a snow day. Regardless, I am going to push my update until next week with a combined post after the Regular Meeting. Today, I want to focus on the 2017 Octorara Area School Board of Directors Election.

Unofficial Candidate List

The Unofficial Candidate List is provided by Chester County Voter Services. Within each Region, voters may vote for 2 candidates. Region 2 Democrats should note that you will have only one candidate on your ballot. Additionally, Region 3 has 4 candidates to choose from, which is kinda exciting. Don’t you agree?

⇒ Region 1 (Atglen Borough, Christiana Borough, Parkesburg-North, West Sadsbury Township)

• William Kloss (Dem/Rep)
• Anthony Falgiatore (Dem/Rep)

⇒ Region 2 (Sadsbury Township-Lancaster County, West Fallowfield Township)

• Samual Ganow (Dem/Rep)
  
• Jere Lee Zimmerman (Rep only)
  

⇒ Region 3 (Highland Township, Londonderry Township. Parkesburg-South)

• Charlie Koennecker Jr (Dem/Rep)
• Robert Matthew Hurley (Dem/Rep)
• Rocco Pirozzi Jr (Dem/Rep)
• Timothy Alexander (Dem/Rep)

Starting Down the Road to Octorara’s 2017 Election

The Octorara Board of Directors held their Facilities and Policy Committee Meetings, and the Work Session Meeting on Monday, January 9, 2017. Only six of the nine members were in attendance. Brian Norris, Samuel Ganow, and William Kloss were absent. Additionally, Dr. Thomas Newcome, District Superintendant, was also absent.

This week’s meetings were probably the lightest since I have been on the Board. As a result, there is not much to report. The Policy Committee is working on the DIstrtic’s “Unlawful Harassment” policy. It is a work in progress, and changes are being made to consolidate some redundant language. Also, Facilities received updates on some ongoing projects. They also discussed the positive impact of having the 10-year Facilities Report and the possibility of creating a Long Range Plan as an additional tool.

The Work Session Meeting was also a bit short. What passed as a Budget Presentation was limited to a statement that there have been no changes since the last presentation. However, Mr. Curtis did report that the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) is recommending that districts not budget any revenue increase from state for 2017-2018. As you may be aware, Pennsylvania is suffering from a tax revenue shortfall, and there is no expectation that the state will have the money to spend more.

If Not You… ?

It is that time again. School Board elections are on the ballot in 2017. Moreover, as we have discussed, voters have the capacity to replace 6 of the 9 Board Members, radically altering the balance of the Octorara Area School Board and the direction of the School District. Those positions include 2 seats in each of the 3 regions. 

Octorara’s December Calm Before The Storm

The Octorara Board of Directors held their Facilities and Policy Committee Meetings, Reorganization Meeting, and Work Session Meeting on Monday, December 5, 2016. Eight of the nine members were in attendance, William Kloss was absent.

This week’s meetings can be described as mundane. The few topics discussed in committee and at the work session meeting were pretty much routine and ordinary. It is the kind of work that needs doing, but is ultimately very procedural. In fact, next week currently includes only 5 action items scheduled for a vote. However, there were several items of note.

Help Wanted: No Experience Required

During the Reorganization Meeting, it became apparent that Octorara taxpayers have a unique opportunity for real change. This coming year, voters have the ability to replace 6 of the 9 Board Members, fundamentally changing the composition of the Board and the direction of the school district. Those seats include:

• Anthony Falgiatore, Region 1
• William Kloss, Region 1
• Samuel Ganow, Region 2
• Hank Oleyniczak, Region 2
• Nelson Stoltzfus, Region 3
• Timothy Alexander, Region 3

While Mr. Falgiatore and Mr. Kloss’ terms do not technically end until 2019, they were both appointed and can only serve until the next municipal election. Therefore, the persons who win those seats, in 2017, will be the ones to finish those terms.

So, if you are ready to make Octorara great again, then it is time for you to step up. It is time to stop just complaining about high taxes and low academic achievement. It is time to stop sitting on the sidelines grumbling about spending on pet projects and the influence of special interests. It is time for you to stand up and say, “I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”