ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO
The Albany School Board has
decided that Superintendent
Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard
is history. Her feelings may be
hurt but 200 thousand severance
eases her pain.
TWO more actions remain.
ONE. Hold the vote on the Albany
High School spending plan on
Primary Day, April 19, 2016
not February 9. I urge a "NO"
vote. Make the high school
spending plan history!
Why April 19 ?
1. April 19, is Presidential Primary
Day in New York.
2. All city polling places will be open
3. The Albany County Board of Elections
(not the Albany City School Board)
will conduct the election, including
counting the ballots and coordinating
absentee voting .
4. April 19 is Spring, the weather will
be better.
5. City property reassessment notices
go out March 1. Homeowners and
apartment renters need to know
how much their property taxes and
rents will increase before being asked
to vote on the high school spending
plan.
6. The City of Albany is on the verge
of insolvency with a 12.6 million dollar
shortfall in the current City budget.
Governor Cuomo has not come to the
aid of the City Administration, and will
not likely do so.
Recall that city and county progressives
backed Teachout who beat Cuomo locally
in last year's primary.
The Governor did not include the
12.6 million dollars in his budget
message that Mayor Sheehan requested.
No surprise.
Mayor Sheehan is on record as saying
if the state aid is not forthcoming, City
property taxpayers face a 22 percent
increase in property taxes... on top of
the current reassessment now in progress.
Notices of how that will increase property
taxes will go out March 1, 2016.
Renters pay attention! When property
taxes go up, the increases are passed along
to you in the form of higher rents.
TWO. Make the School Board history
Merge the city schools with city
government, with one property
tax roll to support both. Return
to K-8 neighborhood schools, which
are best for students, parents and
neighborhoods.
Make the Mayor and Common
Council Members responsible
and accountable for operation
and performance of city schools.
Amend state law to provide for
the above changes an that all school
budgets and fiscal spending
plans only appear on November
General Election ballots and that
the results be final. No second, third
or more re votes!
The above amendments to state law
require a Home Rule Resolution
from the Common Council to the
State Legislature, sponsorship by
Senator Breslin and Assembly
Members Fahy/McDonald, passage
by both houses of the State Legislature
and signature by the Governor.
Only the voters of the City of Albany
can make all this happen. The politicians
lack the will to do so.
Make only necessary repairs to
the high school, pending resolution
of the 12.6 million dollar City
budget gap and, until, impacts
of this shortfall, the current City
reassessment and rezoning underway
and any dramatic property tax
increases are known.
Again, vote NO on any high school
spending plan, whenever and
wherever, it is held!
You have one more chance to
influence the Albany School Board
to change the vote date on the
high school spending plan from
February 9 to Primary Day
April 19 ...or to cancel the vote
altogether.
*********************
February 1 7 PM at Martell's
Restaurant, Albany Municipal
Golf Course, the Albany School
Board will promote their spending
plan and vote.
Be there and make your views
known!
Insist that the school board hold
the vote April 19, or withdraw it.
Also, for the record, let it be known
that you will oppose any attempt to
privatize the city golf course in order
to close the 12.6 million dollar gap
in the current City budget or any
subsequent city budgets.
I led the fight to defeat a luxury housing
plan there, and to get the City golf course
rezoned Land Conservation (LC) park
land in 1993-94, and saved the land which
became the present Community garden
and dog park on Hartman Road.
It is a year round scenic, recreational
asset to residents of Uptown Albany
and the entire City.
We owe this to the foresight of Dan
O'Connell, Mayor Corning and former
State Senator Howard Nolan.
See prior posts this website for more.
Joe Sullivan
The Albany School Board has
decided that Superintendent
Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard
is history. Her feelings may be
hurt but 200 thousand severance
eases her pain.
TWO more actions remain.
ONE. Hold the vote on the Albany
High School spending plan on
Primary Day, April 19, 2016
not February 9. I urge a "NO"
vote. Make the high school
spending plan history!
Why April 19 ?
1. April 19, is Presidential Primary
Day in New York.
2. All city polling places will be open
3. The Albany County Board of Elections
(not the Albany City School Board)
will conduct the election, including
counting the ballots and coordinating
absentee voting .
4. April 19 is Spring, the weather will
be better.
5. City property reassessment notices
go out March 1. Homeowners and
apartment renters need to know
how much their property taxes and
rents will increase before being asked
to vote on the high school spending
plan.
6. The City of Albany is on the verge
of insolvency with a 12.6 million dollar
shortfall in the current City budget.
Governor Cuomo has not come to the
aid of the City Administration, and will
not likely do so.
Recall that city and county progressives
backed Teachout who beat Cuomo locally
in last year's primary.
The Governor did not include the
12.6 million dollars in his budget
message that Mayor Sheehan requested.
No surprise.
Mayor Sheehan is on record as saying
if the state aid is not forthcoming, City
property taxpayers face a 22 percent
increase in property taxes... on top of
the current reassessment now in progress.
Notices of how that will increase property
taxes will go out March 1, 2016.
Renters pay attention! When property
taxes go up, the increases are passed along
to you in the form of higher rents.
TWO. Make the School Board history
Merge the city schools with city
government, with one property
tax roll to support both. Return
to K-8 neighborhood schools, which
are best for students, parents and
neighborhoods.
Make the Mayor and Common
Council Members responsible
and accountable for operation
and performance of city schools.
Amend state law to provide for
the above changes an that all school
budgets and fiscal spending
plans only appear on November
General Election ballots and that
the results be final. No second, third
or more re votes!
The above amendments to state law
require a Home Rule Resolution
from the Common Council to the
State Legislature, sponsorship by
Senator Breslin and Assembly
Members Fahy/McDonald, passage
by both houses of the State Legislature
and signature by the Governor.
Only the voters of the City of Albany
can make all this happen. The politicians
lack the will to do so.
Make only necessary repairs to
the high school, pending resolution
of the 12.6 million dollar City
budget gap and, until, impacts
of this shortfall, the current City
reassessment and rezoning underway
and any dramatic property tax
increases are known.
Again, vote NO on any high school
spending plan, whenever and
wherever, it is held!
You have one more chance to
influence the Albany School Board
to change the vote date on the
high school spending plan from
February 9 to Primary Day
April 19 ...or to cancel the vote
altogether.
*********************
February 1 7 PM at Martell's
Restaurant, Albany Municipal
Golf Course, the Albany School
Board will promote their spending
plan and vote.
Be there and make your views
known!
Insist that the school board hold
the vote April 19, or withdraw it.
Also, for the record, let it be known
that you will oppose any attempt to
privatize the city golf course in order
to close the 12.6 million dollar gap
in the current City budget or any
subsequent city budgets.
I led the fight to defeat a luxury housing
plan there, and to get the City golf course
rezoned Land Conservation (LC) park
land in 1993-94, and saved the land which
became the present Community garden
and dog park on Hartman Road.
It is a year round scenic, recreational
asset to residents of Uptown Albany
and the entire City.
We owe this to the foresight of Dan
O'Connell, Mayor Corning and former
State Senator Howard Nolan.
See prior posts this website for more.
Joe Sullivan
posted by J P Sullivan | 12:02 PM
1 Comments:
It's not practical to have a school budget vote in November. The school year, by law, is July to June. The district does not find out how much State aid it is going to receive until the State budget is passed. And State Ed Law specifies certain dates for certain activities for school districts.
Post a Comment
<< Home