Rye Voting: Bigger & Better
Rye Schools will be back up to bat with a bond referendum on March 13, 2012. Last go round, when the bond was shot down, residents delt with long lines and slow voting.
This time voting will be new & improved, just like your laundry detergent.
In a note, the Rye School raved about voting process–sounds like a day at the spa…
"More Efficient Voting Process…
• More space (whole RMS gym)
• More voting machines
• More poll workers & improved efficiency
• More parking (both RHS & RMS lots dedicated to voting)
Easy Voting For Busy Spouses by Absentee Ballot…
1. Print & complete the absentee ballot application by Clicking Here;
2. Return completed application by mail or personal delivery to RCSD's District Clerk, Elaine Cuglietto at 411 Theodore Fremd Ave., Suite 100S, Rye, NY 10580 so that she receives it by:
a. March 6, 2012 to receive ballot by mail; or
b. March 12, 2012 to pick up ballot in person from Elaine Cuglietto; &
3. Complete & return ballot by mail or personal delivery to Elaine Cuglietto at 411 Theodore Fremd Ave., Suite 100S, Rye, NY 10580 so that she receives it by 5:00 p.m. on March 13, 2012.
*Valid reasons for using an absentee ballot include: Duties, Occupation, Business, Vacation, Education & Temporary Illness at Home or in the Hospital.
Register to Vote…(Attention high school seniors!!!)
1. Click here to print form; complete it & either:
a. Bring it in person to RCSD's District Clerk, Elaine Cuglietto at 411 Theodore Fremd, Rye, NY 10580 by Monday, February 27, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.; or
b. Mail or deliver it to the Westchester County Board of Elections at: 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601 by Friday, February 17, 2012.
To Confirm Your Voter Registration contact Westchester County Board of Elections: 914.995.5700"
Yes, this round of voting should go more smoothly. The size of the potential bond has been reduced thereby reducing the cost to the taxpayers while still meeting the core need for additional classrooms. I’ll probably vote FOR the bond this time around. But, but, but…
The proposed budget presented at the same time as the new and improved Bond doesn’t fundamentally address the spending and taxing issues faced by the District. I’ll write a longer / clearer piece, but here are the key points:
The “Tax Cap Compliant” budget meets the tax cap only because it uses $2.5million in reserves and $500,000 in funds freed-up due to reduced debt costs. Using reserves is great, but they’ll cover operational costs that repeat year after year. This means that all that’s been achieved by the “tax cap compliant budget” is to defer a tax increase of 5.87% to a future year. That seems like a pretty large increase given the current economy.
What should change?
1. Make serious reductions in the proposed budget so that the use of reserves declines from the current budget of $1.9million. That means reducing potential spending by at least $600,000. It’s possible. Look at the surpluses generated year after year – in excess of $1million.
2. Don’t spend the $500,000 in reduced debt service on other expenses. Use the reduced debt service to pre-pay other debt or to cover the initial work on the HS extension. In subsequent years, use this money to pay the debt service from the new bond. Doing so would mean that there would be no real tax increase due to the new bond. While not for free, this is a much better alignment of spending for all of us than has been proposed.
In addition to the above, the Board should commit to using up to $10million in reserves to pre-pay the new bond once it is issued. Taking this approach uses reserves in a sustainable way and allows the District to receive all of the NYS aid that will be available.
One leetle problem developing here folks . Seems Doug French and his gang of spenders over at town hall aren’t happy about fact they raised taxes ( losing 1/2 the folks who voted for them last time ) but had to use all that loot to pad the pensions and benefits of all those town employees . In fact to fund that madness , they had to cancel all roadwork and sidewalk work in Rye for all 2012 !
So given they know taxpayers would show up with pitchforks and torches if they tried an additional tax hike as home prices keep falling , they have a new plan up their sleeve .
Yep , they want to BORROW $10mm via a new bond for town ! ( hey , why let the school have all the fun blowing taxpayer loot ) . On the surface , they sell that $10mm to fix the flooding in Rye ( sorry Doug but its gonna need another ZERO on the end to fix the problem and even there , hurricanes are hurricanes and gonna flood regardless ) . But dig in deep and you find they actually want to use some of that $10mm to fix streets and sidewalks .
THus we are watching as Rye goes the rout of Obama and look to start covering grocery bills and daily living expenses by taking out long term debt and leave a monster problem for future Rye taxpayers to figure out how to pay back .
Earth to Rye citizens : Its the crappy zoning policies of Rye City leaders allowing new multi family houses get heaved up all over town as well as allowing McMansiuons on 1/10th acre lots creating the explsoion of kids in our school system creating the justifiable need for bigger schools .
DO NOT GIVE FRENCH & CO $10 MILLION TO GO PAY FOR ALOT OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE PAID OUT OF GENERAL TAXES ! YOU ARE DESTROYING YOUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE AND THAT OF RYE IF YOU DO SO !
Rye Schools ( and it pains me to admit it ) will need this bond to pass because scholl children size has exploded .
But this never needed to happen in first place ! Anybody with a brain can see the reasons the school population in Rye is exploding despite the fact every piece of open land in Rye being built on decades ago and nobody in town hall is willing to step up and admit it and address the problem going forward .
Take it from somebody who knows : giving French & Co $10mm via a bond sale along with school system hitting us for more and City of Rye will soon be on the road to bond rating downgrades and massive tax hikes to cover the additional outflows of cash .
What next ? They start burning furniture at town hall to avoid high heating oil bills ? Its the same logic .