As shown, object 532 is "postage." The records for this account are maintained in Ray Jankowski’s office so they are readily available for inspection.
According to the BOE, the actual expenditure for the 06/07 fiscal year was $43,505. Curiously, however, the records show that the total expenditure for that year was $39,675.20.
The amount budgeted for the current year 07/08 is $60,375. That sum is $16,870 more than the BOE claims was actually spent in 06/07 and $20,700 more than the records show was spent.
The BOE proposed the sum of $62,025 for 08/09. That sum is $1,650 more than the current Budget and $22,349.80 more than the actual expenditure for 06/07.
Here are actual expenditures obtained from Ray Jankowski’s office:
FY 01/02 $29,815.69
FY 02/03 30,413.06
FY 03/04 38,332.11
FY 04/05 38,345.40
FY 05/06 33,099.66
FY 06/07 39,675.20
FY 07/08 year to Jan., 23,032.43; projected: $39,484.16
So if the projection for the current year is correct – it is certainly consonant with experience – the current year was overbudgeted by about 53%!
So would someone please answer these questions:
1) why did the BOE budget $60,375 for the current year knowing that this line hasn’t exceeded $40,000 in 7 years, even with an increase in postal fees?
2) why did the BOE budget $62,025 for next year knowing that this line hasn’t exceeded $40,000 in 7 years even with an increase in postal fees?
3) how many other lines are similarly overbudgeted?
As Councilman Roger Szendy said, all parents know that the BOE's use of e-mail is growing. To this I add that the BOE employs a "courier" and the Town’s mail clerk processes the BOE’s mail.
Hmmm...how much is needed to avoid pay-to-play?
63 comments:
I can answer....
Over budgeting on one line so they can shift the money over to other lines.
Outright deception.
Right on, jb. Exactly! I guarantee you that if the BoE members demanded proof of every amount claimed to be paid they'd never get it because it would expose the lies.
Nice to know BOE can do anything they want.. Come on people ask them to show where all the money goes.. Town has to show each line so should BOE!!! Pad the budget to spend other places thats there "normal" way.. What a crock!!
I don't understand why we spend anywhere near that in postage. Everything is shifting to email, and what isn't my child brings home in her backpack. What are they mailing for that kind of $$?
Yup....that's why I asked for the budget to be presented in a format that includes actual current year to date spending.....and that's why they're avoiding giving it that way.....
I'll say this much for Mr. Gutman, he does have the right name. It takes someone with lots of guts to expose himself to the hateful vile rhetoric of the BOE/PTO lobby. Don't you see that by asking for some small level of accountability that you will be branded as anti-education, anti-child and at the same time anti-teacher.
After all "It's all about their... I mean the children". Yeah right!
That takes "Guts-man"!
They can brand me anything they want to....The only reality is the truth.....
There is no accountability on the Board of Education or the Administration The games they play with their budget are pathetic. Anyone who doesn't see it is either ignorant, blind or in denial......
This is nothing new; it’s been going on for years. Why are local politicians so concerned about the BoE’s squandering of tax dollars this year? Where was the outrage over the last 5+ bloated school budgets?
Come on give me a real break!!! I have worked in finance and accounting for 25 years. The TOWN finance department should be the check-and-balance for this type of so called "padding". What are they doing? Fin Dir say it has been going on for years... what has he been doing?
Why can't the TOWN finance department do the job they are supposed to!!! Time for a REAL finance director!!!
I am a Senior Citizen. I don't want to pay for any kids education. I plan to leave things WORSE for the next generation. After I live to be 90... me and my fellow seniors will bankrupt social security and medicare. Thanks 30 and 40 somethings for your hard work but no social security for you.
By the way, can't your stupid kids be home-schooled and take online courses. Let's turn the HS into a Senior Center and the ball fields into golf courses. Seniors will be able to play for free and get preferred tee times.
Oh, got to go, I got to go over to the News Times website and spew some more about the BOE. Good thing I am retired and have all this free time on my hands!!!
The town finance dept. has NO CONTROL by law over the BOE.
Town finance dir. does not get to see BOE books, just line items presented. And every month they transfer a long list of money from one budget line to another, but the town does not.
This is a BOE flim-flam and the tip of the iceberg.
It's time we had people trained in accounting and business running the schools, not former teachers or special ed gurus.
If Hartford can mandate programs it can also change the law so superintendents and their assisitants have to have business not educator experience to run $60 M ops.
Learn about town govt, The Fin Dir doe not have control over the BOE.
But it DOES have control over the financial records for both the TOWN side of the budget and the School.
Learn about town government...
The Town Council DOES have control over the BOE budget, even more so with charter revision. If the Town Council had some collective balls, they would threaten to CUT the BoE budget (less money than last year, not just a reduction in the BoE's proposed increase). That's the only way the Town Council can force the BoE’s hand to adopt common sense reforms and greater accountability.
The BoE knows the Town Council is just a bunch of gutless blowhards, so every year they thumb their noses at any and all proposed common-sense reforms or calls for accountability. Why should the BoE reform when they brazenly pad their budget and get more money than they need every year from a spineless Town Council that occasionally pontificates about “fiscal responsibility” but NEVER actually holds the BoE accountable?
Exactly my point!!!
I’m a helicopter Mom, I’m in the schools all the time and do everything I can to make sure my child is liked. I’m college educated but I stay home and micro-manage my children while my husband works.
I don’t think anyone should question the schools system about their curriculum, policies or financial practices. I just don’t want to hear it because it might make some of the public employees, who I spend a great deal of my time sucking up to, uncomfortable or they might be held accountable for something and have to work harder. I speak up at meetings so they know I am on their “side”.
I am committed to try and raise your taxes by as much as the administration says it needs. Even though I do not know anything about a budget I will speak up against anyone who questions it. Some say that these kinds of increases are crazy and will double my taxes in 7 years, but I don’t care. Some say that with the tax burden we are creating our kids will never be able to live here, so what! I’m all about the here and now and it is all about my...I mean THE children. Besides, as soon as our children are out of school and off to college, we are moving out of this dump for good.
"There is no accountability on the Board of Education or the Administration The [sic] games they play with their budget are pathetic..."
Open your eyes Mr Gutman; there’s no oversight of the school budget by the Town Council or BoF either, just a lot of gratuitous bluster. These two unreliable legislative bodies are just as malfeasant as the BoE.
Helicopter Mom:
It is Senior Citzen here. Don't you know your children should be seen and not heard. Every time they open there mouth it cost ME money. When I was raising my kids in the 70s and 80s they never got out of line. They knew who the boss was!
You parents of today are just too easy on your kids and rely on the public school system to fix everthing.
Yes, my chidren are all grown up now. My eldest son is a Medical Doctor working in LA and my daughter is a District Attorney in Dallas. I wish every parent was a good as me.
Stop your complaining about not having enough of MY money for the school system. After all, it all about MY wallet.
Oh yea, my kids don't talk to me anymore because all I do is complain and talk about the good old days.
Sorry have to go, Muffy and I are off to whine and cheese party!
Signed,
You ain't gettin no mo $$$.
(President, Seniors vote NO)
anonymous said: "Open your eyes Mr Gutman; there’s no oversight of the school budget by the Town Council or BoF either, just a lot of gratuitous bluster. These two unreliable legislative bodies are just as malfeasant as the BoE."
Hmmmmm....As a member of the Board of Finance, I'm not sure how to take that....Please elaborate....
I’m going out on a limb here, but let’s assume that government (and public school) budgets are routinely padded to conceal “auxiliary monetary accounts” and/or “reserve funds” (a.k.a. “slush funds”). These corrupt political dealings by government officials have particular elements of illegality, illegitimacy, and/or secrecy in regard to the use of this money and the means by which the funds were acquired.
Has the Town Council or Board of Finance ever searched for, or uncovered, a “slush fund” during budget deliberations?
If so, what has been done about it? Have the corrupt perpetrators who intentionally mislead the taxpayers and subverted the democratic process been fired?
If not, why not?
The biggest bully in schools?
Teacher unions.
See why at: www.teachersunionexposed.com/
The biggest bully in school? Teachers Unions. Watch out for the school marms they are packing heat and they are not going to take it! Geraldo investigates!
I don't know about bully teachers... but I thought this blog was about the Pulitzer Prize winning topic of $16,000 in over budgeting postage leading to corruption at the BOE. Now you guys want to lump teachers into the grand scheme.
Wow, the conspiracy is growing. Next thing you now the blog will find the under-inflated soccer balls at the intermediate school and we will find Osama!!!
Kep up the investigative journalism. You guys are onto something big!
As head of “The Chicago Outfit” in the 1920’s, Al Capone was responsible for countless murders, labor racketeering, extortion, money laundering, loan sharking, bootlegging, bribery, jury tampering and other criminal enterprises. Despite Capone’s known complicity in these illicit activities, all the government could get him on was five counts of tax evasion and failing to file a tax return.
The $16,000 in over budgeted postage is just the tip of the iceberg among the BoE’s fraudulent activities. There’s so much more fraud, waste and abuse to be found in the BoE budget that it would make the head of an organized crime syndicate like Al Capone green with envy…
The feds sent Capone's bookkeeper (a hostile witness) to South America to keep him alive before Capone's trial. We probably need to do something similar with the BoE’s bookkeeper!
I just wrote a post in the hello...is anyone home blog but it should be here also.
I was around the BoE for a long time. I had 2 children in school. bob gundelsberger was the chirman for a while. there was a ski team because he and his family loves to ski. So taxpayers paid for ski club and ski trips and parkas with his girls names on them.
If this investigation is really done properly, it will come out that all the hokus pocus started when he was chairman. you watch. and ask some old timerslike me if I am telling the truth.
Powerful unions (organized crime), crooked politicians, graft, corruption... What's the connection?
Who needs JFK and Oliver Stone... We have the BOE and a postage machine terrorist plot developing right hear in New Milford.
Here is what I found out. By the way no water torture was required.
Pssss... but don't tell anyone! We want the Finance Director to write a letter next week (so...mom is the word until the letter come out).
The under-inflated soccer balls are in the janitors closet of the middle school.
Move them to out of the way... Make your way past the soccer moms guarding the door and then the bully teacher unions... you will find the Holy Grail... a Pitney Bowes 500 SX postage machine in question.
Wink. Wink.
BOE's bookkeeper??? Accounting and Finance for the schools is managed and controlled by the Town. There is no separate Finance Dept for the BOE. If there are accounting irregularities. Talk to the TOWN!
The Town does not control the BOE finances.. Duhhh!!! BOE does what they want and hides money!!!
They whine all the time we need more $$ but they don't. Surplus last yr they should only get what they used last yr for the budget amount. I love when people blame the town for the BOE.. Find out the facts before making stupid comments.
Who is the School Finance Director? uh, would that be the same person that is the TOWN Finance Director.
It sure would be informative to read the current teacher's union contract. Jay, any chance of posting it online?
Mark
Dear Mr. Deflated Balls.
Given the BoE’s record of fiscal irresponsibility, it’s likely they paid more than $16,000 for each of those under-inflated soccer balls you mentioned!
Of course, the school system is only wasting other people’s money (tax dollars) so that’s why self-interested, so-called “school supporters” like yourself are blithely unconcerned about the fraud, waste and abuse at the BoE. Based on your attitude, I suspect that you or someone you know are benefiting from it... Perhaps even by selling shoddy, overpriced sports equipment to the public schools?
Wink Wink.
Now that was funny!!! After all, You got to have a little humor.
Mr. Deflated "Soccer" Balls
"Who is the School Finance Director? uh, would that be the same person that is the TOWN Finance Director."
Uh NO!
Town Finance director is Ray Jankowski.
Schools have at least 3 people doing budget control.
Tom Corbett who retired as director of ops and then was hired back - nice deal - to help with budget, John Turk director of fiscal services, and Gregg Miller accounting manager.
And then there is an accounts payable person and a payroll person and who knows how many secretaries and assistants.
The last I heard there are 53 secretaries. I also heard if you ask a question they keep passing you onto the "person" that handles the issue you are asking about.
Mr. Gutman (not an anonymous wimp),
For your information, this nation's whole political process is founded on anonymity (the secret ballot). Additionally, the United States has a long history of distinguished Americans writing political commentary under assumed names.
Benjamin Franklin occasionally published his own articles under the pseudonyms "Silence Dogood", "Caelia Shortface", "Martha Careful", "Anthony Afterwit", "Alice Addertongue" and "Richard Saunders" (Poor Richard).
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison used the pen name "Publius" when they collectively published 85 articles entitled "The Federalist" between 1787-88.
Novelist Samuel Clemens published political satire under the pen name "Mark Twain".
George Kennan used the pseudonym "X" in his political essay proposing the containment of Communism...
These are only a few of the many distinguished American political writers who you describe as "anonymous wimps".
There's no doubt that you would have been much better off following the lead of these distinguished Americans (by using a pseudonym for your posts). As it is now, your mean-spiritedness, boorishness and ignorance are out there for all to see. Because of this, your credibility has plummeted like Bear Stearns stock.
Good luck trying to influence anyone on the Board of Finance or town government with your public demeanor!
Thanks for the lecture...This blog is not a voting mechanism; it's a dialog. Most of the anonymous wimps are people who are afraid to state their opinions in a public forum. I often wonder why....I'm sure that quite a few of them are public officials who don't have the courage to let their opinions be known by the people who voted for them.
My "public demeanor," as you call it, is very transparent. Anyone who knows me is very much aware that I'll state my opinions without fear. As long as I truly believe in something, I have no reason to hide.
Your argument is very weak, and really isn't even worthy of this reply......My credibility hasn't plummetted....Quite the contrary...I'm not the one hiding....
By the way, who are you? Obviously not someone with the intellectual capacity of Ben Franklin or Mark Twain....But I bet it must've been really exciting for you to get to use your Bear Stearns analogy...How witty....
All the great Americans mentioned in the previous post were “Blogging” in their day (and their political writings were opinion pieces, not “voting mechanisms”), yet they chose to remain anonymous.
Apparently our nation’s founders didn't “have the courage to let their opinions be known” like you do…
Unlike you, they were effective communicators and had the good sense not to make complete asses out of themselves when making their opinions known.
Yes...it takes a lot of courage to call someone an ass anonymously.....
The fact that there were a handful of "anonymous" opinions expressed with well known pseudonyms does not mean that all effective communicators were anonymous....I'd confidently argue that the most effective communicators were loud and clear with their opinions as well as their identities.....
Now get back in your Prius and drive over to your next Obama/Clinton fundraising event. I'm sure there are people there who'll actually take you seriously....Oh, please peel the Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker off the back of the Prius as well...
Although you're on opposite ends of the political spectrum, you and Ms. Lundgren appear to have very similar personality disorders - arrogance, belligerence, imprudence, self-righteousness, etc.
You should try seeking psycological help with her, maybe you can work out a group discount together...
Clearly, you don't know me....
This all started with your uninvited personal attacks...and apparrently you're offended by the fact that I chose to defend myself...
Perhaps I should use simpler language, so you understand my position (By the way, in America, people are allowed to have opinions). There may be occasional instances when anonymity is appropriate. However, I firmly believe that should be the exception, not the rule. As far as elected officials and government is concerned, transparency is vital. When those people use this blog as a means of anonymously expressing their opinions, that transparency no longer exists...
Anyway, I've had enough of you. I wish you luck in your delusional life....Obviously ignorance is bliss, because you seem like a very happy person....
PS...I'm sure that anyone reading your posts would like to know who you are, but I'm also sure that you don't have the courage to do so....WIMP!!!
Can we PLEASE get back to the real, critical subject? Why did the BOE increase the mailing line by $16,000? Has anyone from the BOE exsplained that?
Dear Mr. Gutman (a very conspicuous blowhard),
Your undignified demeanor and incessant lack of judgement proves that you are a very foolish public official indeed. I'm truly embarrassed for you.
Sincerely,
Anonymous (having an unknown or withheld authorship)
P.S. Don't wait for Mary Jane, find yourself a good psychiatrist ASAP!
OK...I apologize...I now realize that your mother didn't hold you enough as a child....and I have the utmost sympathy.....
Good luck and God bless....
ps....I went to the psychiatrist, and he begged me to find out who you are, so he can send over the nice men in the white coats.....
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
- Plato (Greek author & philosopher, 427 BC - 347 BC)
Mr. Gutman, you definitely talk because you have to say something...
"You can tell alot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans. "
Ronald Reagan (40th president of the United States)
Mr or Ms Anonymous, you are a jellybean.
Enough of you and your pretentious, false intellect....back to the subject of this blog...
The BOE increases every line, and hopes no one's looking. If you ask them why (and I did), they make up an answer that they think is justified.
When I asked about the postage, specifically, I was told that because Mrs. Ford (Schaghticoke) likes to handwrite comments on Report Cards)....Apparrently, she doesn't know how to use email....
"A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."
-Proverbs 12:16
"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
- Proverbs 18:2
"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."
-Proverbs 29:11
Do you have any original thoughts, or are you now reduced to quoting scripture and literature in an unsuccessful attempt to make whatever point it is that you're trying to make?
I may be zealous, but I'm certainly not angry. I'm not sure how you assumed that I'm angry based on text. Using your logic, Ben Franklin was an angry fool too....
Here's an appropriate quote for you from another Republican president:
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool then to speak out and remove all doubt."
- Abraham Lincoln
I see a lot of quotes, but you've yet to point out anything foolish that I've said.
Is this some kind of attempt to sway attention away from the original subject of the BOE budget? So far you haven't made a single logical point, so perhaps it would be best for you to quit while you're ahead (in your own mind).
If you'd like to continue this pointless discussion, please point out the foolish things that you think I've said, so that I can show you how foolish your assumptions are in their own right....
"why can't we all just get along?"
Rodney King
hehehe
Don't give me a beat down Mr. Gutman.
Love,
Rodney
"Can't we all just knock off all the personal BS and stay on topic?"
J B Keene
3-18-08
(not THE anonymous)
Keeping this discussion on topic would expose what's been going on to even more scrutiny and speculation. Somebody obviously doesn't want it to see the light of day; doesn't want it discussed.
This is exactly the kind of "la la la la" (with fingers in ears) diversion you'd get from a 10 year-old who doesn't want to hear about reality.
Too late!!
Okay, let's get back on topic.
After months of budget deliberations by the Mayor, Town Council, Board of Education and Board of Finance, the only waste they discovered was $16,000 in a $91,362,948 budget? That's less than 1/50th of a percent of the budget!
Put another way; after numerous public hearings, meetings and deliberations equaling several hundred man-hours spent reviewing the budget, that's all our esteemed public officials could find? $16,000?
Unfortunately, this is not something to be celebrated... Instead, citizens should be appalled that our public officials are such an incompetent bunch of unfocused dim-wits...
Yes....you're 100% right...I'm glad someone finally noticed....
I specifically asked Dr. Paddyfote about the postage line, and couldn't get a straight answer. At this point, I don't need an answer from her anymore....Just cut that line (can't actually cut from a specific line...but cut that padded amount, along with countless others) and move on.....
"...please point out the foolish things that you think I've said,
Here's the first foolish thing you said in this thread (because, although you had no rational response, you HAVE to say something):
"Now get back in your Prius and drive over to your next Obama/Clinton fundraising event. I'm sure there are people there who'll actually take you seriously....Oh, please peel the Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker off the back of the Prius as well..."
FYI, I drive a gas-guzzling M car...
You've said countless other infantile and foolish things in many other threads on this site. Most recently:
"Her [Mary Jane Lundgren's] problem is that she doesn't know how to respectfully disagree with someone....She makes obnoxious comments, and rolls her eyes....A typical display of ignorance and arrogance....
I'm not sure who's more annyoning [sic], her or the corpse sitting next to her....."
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me.
Although you may agree with my previous post, the main point of my other posts is that you are a fool...
Back to the core issue.
I honestly don't understand how the chain of command works in the Finance and Accounting for the NM School/Town. I assumed that there may be several bookkeepers, accounting managers, etc that work on "school" related accounts / payroll but that the accounting and finance staff ultimately report into Jankowski or ONE centralized New Milford Accounting and Finance department.
It sounds like from this thread that in effect the accounting staff report into the School Super. or at least the school chain of command. Is that really correct?
I hate to be the one to compare a municipality to corporations (as certianly corp business has it flaws...) But it seems to me that you would want ONE Finance and Accounting Department that controls the entire finance and accounting function under ONE CFO (i.e. Jankowski). Similar to a corporate structure of accounting control.
If it is not these problems of mis-trust in budgeting will continue.
Then an audit function that reports into the Board of Finance. Notice I said "function" not "person". We don't need another person on the payroll but maybe $25,000 or spent on internal audit and hiring a third party cpa might not be money poorly spent.
Am I off-track here.
Rigor in budgeting should be the norm and be available for review at the lowest or highest level.
I would think sub-schedules could be demanded for line items (esp. if over a certian amount).
As an example, if we take the postage account.
The sub-schdule would include:
Purpose of proposed mailing - Number of pieces X cost per piece.
If you have say 100 different mailing in the year you would simply sum the costs of each mailing.
Then you could have a rational discussion on the topic and see if a financial cut will have an operational impact that can be lived with or not.
My question is since the BOE seems to spend this money every year and we all agree there are numerous lines overbudgetted,
where are the lines that are consistently under budgeted?
What is this $16 or $23k really funding?
Good Question?
After months of budget deliberations by the Mayor, Town Council, Board of Education and Board of Finance, the only waste they discovered was $16,000 in a $91,362,948 budget? That's less than 1/50th of a percent of the budget!
NOT NECESSARILY SO- That line was only one line that the Town CFO had ACTUAL numbers for-since the BOE uses the Town Clerk postage scale for mailings. Other lines are clouded in mystery and kept at the BOE office!Can you imagine what other overages the CFO would find if he or another real CPA had the true spending numbers? Lets keep to the topic please and stop the bashing.
I had been working on this teeny bit of Tom-foolery (pun intended) for a few days before the Council Meeting at which Roger Szendy mentioned it.
It was not my intention to suggest that this was the only line in which there is a problem...by no means! It was just a "perfect example" of the hocus-pocus and one that I chose not only because it's very easy to understand but because there was no chance that either the numbers were incorrect or that they could be manipulated by the School Administration before I got them.
A commenter's suggestion that there may be other accounts that may be consistently "under budgeted" is well-taken. But it has to be one that is connected to a revenue stream so that there are always "leftovers" to fund other lines. Remember...the BOE can transfer as it sees fit, at its whim. Not so the "Town-side."
Equally well-taken are the comments from many that a forensic examination of EVERY line would likely yield spectacular results. I am loathe to use the expression, but zero-based budgeting would work fine if it is accepted as a basic premise that many built-in costs do exist e.g. contract raises.
My point was to raise awareness of the problem. Just posting a copy of a page of the BOE Budget book should have opened some eyes.
Finally, please recall that Bill Wellman did say during the budget process he saw very little evidence to support the BOE lines. EVIDENCE. Right on, J B Keene!
There should not be major flucuations in account lines, that is 2006/2007 we spent $77000, in 2007/2008 we budgetted $48,000, and ask for 90k in 2008/2009.
What is wrong is they cut hastily to make the budget fit the approval of the TC and BOF and what the voters will not vote no on and then shift funds back during the year.
Or they are prepaying dues which is fine but I just suggested smoothing the spending vs. we have money this year and we'll pre-pay.
Also without current YTD spending and projected spending for full fiscal year, how does BOE expect anyone to make a rational decision?
And wouldn't spending from 2005/2006 help make a trend?
I think I remember someone saying it takes 3 points to make a trend not 1-1/2.
You could say many of the same things about the town budget.
Post a Comment