This comes directly from the Agenda, however, Pruitt asked that this item be pushed back until the first meeting in December. I got up to speak at the podium and in regards to this item. I started off by giving, "Why I oppose the Resolution urging the Montgomery County Board of Education to proceed with the construction process to build an eas side high school. The reasons are as follows:
- It’s not a fiscally responsible resolution
- Once the BOE has the money to construct a new school who will fund the salaries of the Teachers and so forth
- The Mtg BOE is in need of a Line of Credit is the City of Montgomery going to do that also to keep them out of the red
- So IF the City is going to fund a new school and provide a line of credit can the city get adequate number of School Buses for the children to ride to school 2 to a seat instead of riding while sitting in each others laps ask for more School Patrols?
- If the City is going to fund this new school can we give money to the BOE to recruit those teachers back who were pink slipped for them not having enough money to keep them?
- Which fund will this money come from and is it enough to leave extra money for the capital improvement fund to at least get some grass cut on the areas that need it particular West Montgomery Exits off of major Interstates as well as the Southern Blvd,graffiti clean up task force, street sweepers, ditch on Braeburn repaired behind residents houses that was supposed to be fixed prior to Mr. Cook’s death, lawn bags provided to residents of the City to help the Sanitation Dpt because it takes them too long to put the leaves in the back of the truck when it would be cost efficient to have the residents bag their own leaves put them on sidewalk and charge for extra bags? That extra money could help you decrease giving the Sanitation Dpt. $15000 for Postage in the 2012 Fiscal Year
- What Bank will the City be using for this line of credit and Bond issue?
- Who is responsible for tracking each districts spending and is this a matter for Public Record?
Well Mr. Larkin began speaking and told me in essence that it is our duties as citizens to take up this matter. Then he goes on to ask me about prorations and if I knew what that meant. I told him not to insult my intelligence. To make a long story short this is not about prorations, this is not about an east side school this is about being Fiscally Responsible and to use $25 Million dollars to fund the Board of Education is NOT. If our Councilmembers would keep it real with the citizens they know that they would not have any support. So they try to circumvent around the issue at hand, the City of Montgomery wasting money for a school that would not have teachers or staff to be placed there because according to the Montgomery Board of Education a (County entity) is looking for a line of credit to keep its budget in the black. After the meeting in an ongoing debate with Pruitt who I think is OK but not looking at this through the eyes of repayment. Pruitt says that there needs to be a school on the east side because there has not been one past Vaughn Road in years. He also stated that the Board of Education has money. OK if they do let them use it to build not take out a bond issue which has to be repaid by Me and other Citizens of the City of Montgomery. I was at the Board of Education Meeting when the Elton Dean and the Todd Strange (yes, I said the Elton and the Todd) were there presenting a joint effort of answering the Superintendent's letter and call for help in building another school on the East Side. Rev. Nettles applauded the effort. I however did not because as I looked at the perplexed Board Members who audibly were unaware of the written request for assistance from the Mayor and Commish from the Superintendent led me to believe that only those three amigos knew what this particular Board of Education meeting was about. So the Super, Mayor and Commish along with the Board Members adjourned to the backroom to discuss what had happened before our very eyes. So I again say, if backdoor deals were going on then why should the City involve itself in it? The Montgomery Board of Education spent roughly $300000 on a DeJong study that they admitted did not follow the recommendations regarding the repairs listed from the study but they again are paying over $100k for another study from DeJong to perform another study. So I say why, why do we citizens have to keep paying for studies when we know what is going on, money is being wasted on studies. Teachers have been pink slipped and buses are overcrowded. Students ride 3-4 to a seat and they want to build another school? Why? We need to repair the schools that are in ill repair first and let it all be handled through the Board of Education. Pruitt said that the County Commissioners are working on building a school in Ramer because I asked why not let the County handle it. It would behoove Mr. Larkin to attend Board of Education meetings before trying to insult the intelligence of those who do. It would be lovely for the City Council to do their duty of performing the legislative aspects of the council and stop intermingling governmental agencies when the City is becoming more top heavy creating unnecessary positions. I hope that this is not forgotten and I implore individuals of the City of Montgomery to not urge anyone to do anything. Why is the City of Montgomery urging the Board of Education to take this money? Something is not right about it and I'm gonna keep fighting for the City to handle the City's business unless they want to invite the Superintendent and County Commissioner in a roundtable discussion to let the citizens know the urgency of a new school.
