The Maryland State Board of Education has denied the request of three Maryland counties to waive the Maintenance of Effort funding requirement. Wicomico, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties all appealed to the State Board of Education last month.
Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr. responded to the decision with the statement that follows.
Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr. responded to the decision with the statement that follows.
“By denying Wicomico County’s request for a waiver from the State-mandated Maintenance of Effort standard; indeed by denying all of the requests before them, the State Board of Education has carelessly and irresponsibly put millions of dollars in essential State funding for local schools at risk.
“We made it clear to the Board in our appearance in Baltimore that Wicomico County, after requiring nearly all of our departments to slash their budget requests by as much as 10 percent, is not in a position to fund the Board of Education to the extent necessary to meet the State’s demands. In fact, our appeal to them was our last resort. For a body which has as its only purpose to support and encourage a high-quality learning environment for our schoolchildren, the State Board’s actions are inexplicable.
“That being said, I am determined to see that Wicomico’s schoolchildren are not made to suffer for the lack of the State’s ability to recognize the reality in the field from their high-rise offices in Baltimore. We will immediately renew our discussions with the County Board of Education and impress upon them that they must now find, from within their department, the means to reach the MOE standard if we are to save over $4 million in available State funds. I have every confidence that we can do it.”
21 comments:
Mr. Pollitt is correct in his assessment. As those of us who were opposed to the revenue cap legislation could foresee, the chickens have come home to roost. We knew what would happen, and it has come to pass. At some point in the very near future, we are going to have to re-visit the cap. If we don't, all departments of the county are going to suffer more than ever could have been imagined.
And, no, I am not spendthrift liberal. I am a card-carrying Republican who is moderately conservative, but also one who is realistic. We all want the services that the county provides, so we have to be willing to ante up the funds. Is there waste at the BOE? No doubt. Certainly they sent a very wrong message by voting to increase health benefits for retirees, and there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians in the school system. But can $2M in cuts be made? I don't see how.
My moneys on "Big Drama" 10-1 ,come on Big Drama.
Hey Rick:
It's the tax cap, stupid!
Sincerely,
Bill Clinton
"Certainly they sent a very wrong message by voting to increase health benefits for retirees, and there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians in the school system."
There must be too many chiefs on the board also. Robin H had the only vote that made sense and no one followed her leadership.
RE: Posting 10:47
I have never met you nor do I have any ulterior agenda in this County or any other Maryland County. I am simply a taxpayer that wants to keep my own money where it sits best . . .in my own hip pocket.
Thus, I implore you to please visit the following links and see what the Schoolteachers and Administrators themselves think about our ordinary citizenry.
You see they lambast the Revenue Cap as being evil and bad.
Moreover, the BOE have their paid lobbist sponsor legislation to exempt themselves from having to pay any real estate tax on their own homes while proposing to raise everyone elses to make-up the difference. That's right you heard it correctly, the Schoolteachers and Administators want to be exempt from the very standards that they want to impose on others.
What you saw just a few nights ago when they voted to raise the County's benefit portion from paying 50% of their health care to paying 70% is an example of their double standards.
As far as I'm concerned. . . IT'S A BLESSING WE HAVE THE REVENUE CAP.
I'm not making this stuff-up . . here are the Maryland Legislature links:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/billfile/hb0965.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/billfile/HB0197.htm
To see this legislation, just click and paste into your browser.
Put the children first then Mr. Pollitt, work with your Board of Ed and come up with the funds.
10:47-
So, because you don't want the B of E to fund the retiree's health care benefits for retirees at the same level as most othes counties that is "waste". Not!
If that were so then paving your street is waste and should be stopped IMHO.
Every school in Wicomico is open for one-half hour longer each day than is required by the state of Md. That's heating and cooling longer than necessary. Cut the length of the school day. Also cut sports. By the time you figure in the cost of security, officials, buses to away games, etc, there is no way we can continue sports in the present fashion and act like we're trying to be fiscally responsible. There's a reason they're extracurricular. To say they are necessary is like saying you shouldn't be required to go to your job and work unless you have a pool or a basketball court there to keep you interested.
Gotta get rid of the stupid revenue cap--it was a bad idea then, and a bad idea now. Unless that goes away, we will lose some essential services, not just luxuries.
It's easy. Just balance the budget as they did in Worcester County: Lift money from the retirement account of county employees so the "Education Cartel" does not have to make any real sacrifices. Step two, next year call for tax increases of anything imaginable (can we get away with taxing snack food on the Eastern Shore?) to restore funding to the county employees retirement fund (with no mention of the BOE's blind inflexibility as the root cause of the deficit).
Change the revenue cap to a tax cap. The revenue cap is regressive while a tax cap is fiscally responsible. We would not be in this position with a tax cap. Change the revenue cap to a tax cap. That should be the political debate. There has to some responsible middle ground that will keep the tax payers of the county from getting fleeced yet allow the county to take advantage of growth.
Re: To Revenue Cap Posting 12:27
I just looked up those House Bills and you are right. I also read the Fiscal Notes at the bottom of the link and it says that everyone - (ordinary taxpaying folks) - will be required to pay substantially more in real estate taxes in order to offset the schoolteachers exemption on their primary homes.
For the posters that are ridiculing the revenue cap, shame on you.
Teaching is mobile profession and if they don't feel appreciated,or respected here in Wicomico, they will move to someplace where they are respected. Take into account the revenue cap, the county's cutting funding, and the anti-teacher responses on this site, I expect to see more good teachers leave this county. Then you you'll be left with what ever is leftover to teach your children. The students won't be successful and will turn even more to gangs and crime.
Reference the Maryland House Bill Exempting Schoolteachers from having to pay any real estate tax on their primary homes.
I sure hope there are as many readers as Joe says there are reading these posts. If their are, the Schoolteachers and Administrators are surely toast when the smoke begins to lift from the taxpayers.
Hypocrisy is rhampant in this State.
No wonder Bill Duvall always referred to them as the 'Lawless Teachers Union' - they truly are, literally.
12:27 and 2:43, Would it help you to know that I am a retired teacher? I am aware of the proposed legislation that would exempt teachers from paying property taxes. I am very much opposed to this idea. If that were to become law, what other "honorable professions" would also want exempt? 2:43, my retirement is paid at the 50% level by my previous employer, and I feel that is most generous. In the light of an expected $2M shortfall in the BOE budget for next year, it seems outrageous that the lay Board would increase the payout to retirees. (10:47)
3:50:
Are you brain dead?
Wor. Co. does not have the "tax revenue cap".
If you know there is waste then remove it. Don't complain or want more tax money until waste is removed and greed is denied. Unions are hurting the taxpayer but they don't care because they are receiving their raises when everyone else is suffering with job lose. Butthey still want to increase their taxes for their raises and benefits. Is this greed or what.
3:59 pm you don't have a clue what you are talking about. Worcester DID NOT hit the retirement account of the County employees. Get your facts straight.
3:33, we're going to cut your salary before we cut essential services, so quit threatening and cut spending. The only people against the tax cap are wasteful government spenders and those not qualified to balance a budget. What's it take to downsize the BOE? A mob? There's going to be a mob if you overpaid under work bozo's keep threatening to take from the children and not cut your wasteful pork!!!
I think if the BOE is going to pay a higher percentage of their retired teachers health benefits, they should have to start paying a higher monthly cost while they are working. They pay only a fraction of what the rest of the county employees pay. Thay want to have their cake and eat it too. They cant have it both ways. Just like the people who want the cap, but still b!tch about not enough services.
All of you on here complaining couldn't stop the fire dept. from getting everything they wanted. You couldn't stop the $80 million dollar Wastewater Treatment plant. Now you think that you are going to stop the BOE? When the economy bounces back, all of you will be fat and happy again, and you won't pay one bit of attention to the BOE. When the economy is good teachers' pay looks pathetic, when the economy is bad teachers' pay and benefits are outrageous.
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