Pick on somebody your own size.
That's the message from Rye Little League Prez Myles P Lavelle is sending to the Rye City Council. Lavelle is saying the new budget proposal hikes the "field surcharge" by 200% and says "a family with three children playing two sports in a season will triple their cost from $30 to $90 per season."
Lavelle ran for Rye City council in 2009.
Here is the Lavelle blast:
"Dear Rye Little League Parents,
As you might already know, the Rye City Council unveiled its proposed 2011 budget last week. The proposed 2011 budget calls for a 2.16% tax rate hike and cuts and cost saving measures in many of the city's departments, including the Recreation Department.
I do not envy the position of the City Council, balancing a budget in these economic times is difficult to say the least. However, I would be remiss if I did not inform the parents of the children who participate in Rye Little League of the most recent proposal.
Unfortunately, the new budget proposal introduced by the City Council includes a 200% increase to the field surcharge from $5 to $15 per child, per season, per league. At first glance, $15 doesn’t seem too extreme; however a family with three children playing two sports in a season will triple their cost from $30 to $90 per season. Historically, Rye Recreation has charged a $5 dollar fee per person, per league, per season for a field usage. The surcharge was designated and used specifically for capital field projects or renovations. The Rye Recreation staff would identify a project and use the funds as needed. Over the years the fund has allowed the staff to improve the overall quality of the fields and parks. The most recent improvements include new sod for the baseball fields and renovations to the soccer and lacrosse fields at Sterling and Nursery Park.
Rye Little League has approximately 700 children involved in the spring, summer and fall leagues and our fee to the City will skyrocket to $10,500 from $3,500 a year. Moreover, the surcharge has always been designated for Rye Recreation capital improvement projects. According to the new proposal, the money will now be part of the general fund and not solely for the Rye Recreation.
While I applaud the City Council’s efforts to reign in taxes, the idea to target a user group or should I say hold a user group hostage with limited or no recourse, is an attempt to disguise what is nothing more than a leisure tax to a limited group. I implore the Council to rethink their approach of the newly created “user group tax” for fear the sustainability of youth athletics and all user groups will go the way of pay to play.
If you are so inclined, please contact your City Council members or attend the next City Council meeting 8pm Wednesday, December 1st and voice your displeasure.
Mayor:
Douglas H. French – dfrench@ryeny.gov
Council Members:
Richard P. Filippi – rfilippi@ryeny.gov
Paula J. Gamache – pgamache@ryeny.gov
Peter W. Jovanovich – pjovanovich@ryeny.gov
Suzanna S. Keith – skeith@ryeny.gov
Catherine F. Parker – cparker@ryeny.gov
Joseph A. Sack – jsack@ryeny.gov
Regards
Myles P Lavelle
Rye Little League Board Member"
I fear the new GOP team is rapidly morphing into Steve Otis & Co .
NO NEW FEES OR TAXES! PERIOD!
Rye raised taxes right through this Depression which is still far from over ! Even Astorino is cutting county spending by 1% in his budget .
Mr French and crew need to start with spending unchanged from last year and then work backwards . PERIOD!
layoffs ? you betcha
what public works department functions can be privatized ? ALOT I WILL BET!
When I was a kid, the youth sports teams (baseball, hockey, soccer, football) would depend on the kids playing to raise a certain amount of $$ through booster drives, wreath sales, car washes, etc. Perhaps the Little League could put this army of 700 to work to raise funds, to make up the difference… just a thought.
Great idea Matt, maybe with any left over money they can fund their very own Youth Officer also!
Above Ave Citizen:
If the kids would be willing to work a lot harder to do so, sure, but I doubt there’d be the same level of interest. What teen would want to fund any kind of restraining force on their freedoms?
In my hometown, we didn’t have youth officers. Parents taught their kids to be respectful of all authority figures – cops, teachers, other parents, seniors, etc. If any dispute arose between a tween or teen and an authority figure, parents would listen to the adult’s version first.
Now, it seems like most parents think their little angels can do no wrong. My, how times have changed.
Would it be so bad for these little “angels” to shoulder some additional responsibility to help defray the costs of activities that are designed to benefit them directly? Certainly worth a conversation, no?
Matt,
I do not disagree with the kids doing their part, I was brought up with the same values.
My remark was a shot at City Council,not you!
I grew up here and do not recall Rye ever being without a Youth Officer. I can tell you from a great deal of experience, there is great value in kids and cops respecting each other, and greater value in a Youth Officer.
I would love to know how many districts have adopted the D.A.R.E. Program and then dumped it for the sake of the ole mighty dollar?
Problem is, every one is so far apart, to close the gap would take a great deal of patience, understanding, respect, and honesty from all parties!!!
Above Average Citizen –
No offense taken. I agree that a Youth Officer adds value, and having kids respecting cops (and vice versa) is a very good thing to have. But we no longer exist in an environment where we can have it all. Tough decisions need to be made. From what I hear, cops are stating that DARE does not deliver on its central promise, which is to keep kids off drugs. And if it isn’t working, it’s money wasted.
No longer is the focus of the city council on how can we spend money to achieve the greatest good, it’s how can we cut expenses with the least amount of damage to our social fabric.
I wish the Sate and Federal Governments would clue in to this basic fact.
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SortaSingle,
You have way way too much time on your hands, seek help before it is too late, although it may be!
Myles – you know I think you’re a great guy for doing this – and for a lot of other reasons as well – but $90 dollars is about a tank of gas for the enormous vehicles the ladies drive around all day with a single occupant ( yakking on their phones ).
Sell the Denali and get a Subaru and you can well afford to pay for your own sports leagues and give tax payers a break.