Thank you Gail Bartkovich! Thank you Bob Culver! Thank you Joe Holloway! Thank you Matt Holloway! Thank you Stevie Prettyman! These five Wicomico County council members, facing heavy political pressure from the Board of Education and the Daily Times, stood firm for county taxpayers last night by voting to defer construction of a new Bennett Middle School for at least one year.
While our tax dollars were being used to finance robo calls to parents, as well as an e-mail campaign, the majority of the council demanded a little accountability from Superintendent John Fredericksen and the Wicomico County Board of Education. We can only hope that Fredericksen and his merry little band of bureaucrats heard the message.
As we have noted in previous posts, there is a great deal of community support for a new Bennett Middle School. Unfortunately for the children and taxpayers of Wicomico County, Fredericksen, et al, seem to believe that support for a new school building (and a 
quality education for our children) translates into a blank check to build a new Taj Mahal. It doesn’t. To quote councilman Matt Holloway, “I really hope that next time you come to us you have a realistic approach for a building. This is not a realistic approach." Holloway is right on. Sadly, Fredericksen’s remarks during public comment would lead us to believe that the council’s message fell on deaf bureaucratic ears.
While Fredericksen’s crew attempt to portray council members as somehow being “anti-education”, citizens need to be reminded of a few facts. Bartkovich and Prettyman were key players in getting the new Bennett High School approved. Both women caught flak from multiple sides in their fight to secure approval, funding, AND a means for the county to pay for the project. While Fredericksen and BOE president Michelle Wright used the Daily Times to persuade citizens that they would lower the cost of the Bennett Middle project, the BOE was telling the School Building Commission that the cost was “locked down” and that even modest changes could not be implemented.
Whether I have agreed or disagreed with the council members who stood up for taxpayers last night (as I disagreed with my friend Bob Caldwell in his vote last evening), I have to say that they have always been honest. Sadly, we can’t say the same about the bureaucrats over on Long Avenue.
28 comments:
But will they stand up for us t-payers in the next budget ordinance and not let Rick Pollitt rule by default like last time?
And what about Pollitt's "public information officer" who is now his TV producer, too, at the taxpayers' expense?.
Wanna bet "Dr. Freddy" takes another trip real soon now?
This Could Be the Start of Something New
Taxpayers - 1
R.Pollitt - 0
Special Kudos to:
Joe Holloway -- Mr. Watchdog
Matt Holloway - Young Puppy
And a tip of the hat to Ms. B, Ms. P and BC.
When you do build it can it be written in that all workers must show proof of citizenship.
You are a moron 1:56
I agree with 1:56...if the illegals want to work GO HOME. You have learned enough here at our expense to go home and set up a business and take care of YOUR country.
1:17 (and Rick Pollitt) -
The "PIO" - Fineran - has got to go.
Maybe Dr. Freddy can save costs by thinning out the Long Avenue jobs. He needs to show that he is fiscally responsible before he gets any additional funding. He likes to spend, spend, spend and Wright just rides the coat tail of that and agrees with everything Dr. Freddy says.
Yeah for having the right Council in place.
1:56 is right on. Thats how the county bids are routinely won by out of area contracters paying "cash" for labor. Nice work Council, having children who will be heading to Bennett Jr in two & three years respectively I would have loved to have had a new school for them to attend. It's not the end of the world. If you can't afford it don't spend it.
3:48 - You are so right. Freddy had plenty of opportunities to meet people half way and instead it's his way or the highway. Michelle Wright is in way over her head and has let Dr Freddy run wild. (just ask any bus contractor). Most of the board is a joke and living off govt pay or govt retirements. There hasn't been a shred of board leadership or accountability. With Mrs. Holloway leaving the board this year, any voice of experience and reason will be gone.
Yes to elected school board!
Kudos for fiscal conservatives! I am not opposed to a new school, but agree wholeheartedly that the budget needs to be scrutinized, and the building does not need to be extravagant. I am retiring soon, and never had kids. I have always paid my taxes and never complained in paying school taxes all these years without having any children in school. But dammit -things are different, and I want my representatives to scrutinize everything. I have had enough with the city spending and costs out of control. I hope the next city council takes heed and pays attention. Great job county council!
This county is a freakin joke. You all criticize the BOE and say that they have not taken a hit like other departments.
Do your research and see that they were cut 6 million last year and they propose another 5+ million again this year. The county has no support for education and funds it at the same level as the 1990s.
You all say tha the new Bennett Middle was over the top but don't realize that the state requires many of the high priced additions due to LEED certification. This certification allows the state to give more money and less for the locals.
If you want a bare bones school, the county in the end will have to pay more.
Just wait...it will be much more in the end to build this school than it would now.
5:10 If you go into this delay with that attitude then yes, you have no intention of the school being redesigned. The problem with the BOE and the administration is that they have been spoiled for years on end and now when the buck stops with the funding, they act like children. Grow up and accept this as part of life and start working to keep the price down.
Fredrickson and his ilk act the way they do because they think they're so much brighter than the rest of us..
I may be a local, but at least I can figure out that I shouldn't try to buy anything when my pocket is empty.
Smart people think to much sometimes. You can think yourself into a box if you do it long enough.
Read between the lines. Its right there. Economy my butt.
Salisbury city council should take note from county council on how not to waste money in bad times.
Anonymous said...
You are a moron 1:56
2:27 PM
No, you are the moron you stupid liberal idiot. It is soft hearted liberal idiots like you that have ruined our country.
Americans work first.
Anon 1710 -
You must have taken a lesson from John Fredericksen in telling half truths (or avoiding the truth in total). Yes, the BOE had their budget cut last year. Yes, they will have to endure another cut this year. If the other parts of the county's operating budget had not endured similar (or deeper) cuts, then you would have a valid point. However, while Fredericksen was fight a MOE waiver two years ago, other county departments were taking cuts.
As for blaming the LEED standards for the school's cost, that is only (again) half true. There are myriad areas to save on the design of that school, but Fredericksen and Forte refuse.
It's also interesting that you don't want to touch the fact that Fredericksen (or Forte) told a whopper to the council and public. Forte states that the design is locked down and no savings can be had. Fredericksen and Wright claim that IF the school had stayed in the CIP they would work on cost cuts. Who's lying? Both cannot be telling the truth.
Since they did not approve the school. Where will our money go. I am sure they will still find a way to spend all the money plus some. I could see not building if they actually could save some money but they will still spend everything and will still be in the negative next year
milkrunner, you have to be one of the most clueless commenters I have ever seen here, with all due respect. You know nothing about this project, borrowing money and the fact that they cannot SPEND what they do NOT have.
Wake up County Parents you are missing the point. We have teachers that cannot get text books for their students and cannot make copies of the single book that they do have because there is no budget for paper. Let the county keep offering early retirement to their best teachers, those teachers may wize up and leave and then what will we do. Somebody needs to look at the teacher to supervisor ratio and say enough is enough.
Sadly this is a very complicated issue. As a county taxpayer, I support providing the best education that we can to our children, without breaking our own backs. This is not the time to splurge on anything, including plans for a school. If we can't afford to do it right, then we can't afford to do it right NOW.
Kudos to Matt Holloway for saying exactly what needed to be said, I hope we get the same brave young individuals on the Salisbury City Council when all is counted. This could be a new era of accountability, and the County Council did a superb job, we need a new school--but be real!!!!!!!
To all those folks saying that the BOE has been cut more than any other department,
Go back and look at the numbers! They were not cut, they were simply denied additional funding. The BOE was denied funding to meet the maintenance of effort that the State requires for matching funds-AKA: additional funding that promotes additional, unnecessary and poor spending. If you look at the numbers you will see that every year the BOE has received AT LEAST what they received the previous year. Like I said, they have not been cut, just denied additional funding over the previous year's budget. Other County departments received true budget cuts that cut their budgets lower that the previous year's allotment. TRY AGAIN FOLKS!
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