Letter: Demands need to be prioritized (May 30, 2008)
Posted by Leader Editor at 5/29/2008 2:38 PM 
Categories: Opinion, Schools, Budget, Letters, Council News
Categories: Opinion, Schools, Budget, Letters, Council News
Editor:
The Scarborough Town Council recently passed the municipal budget with a 2.97 percent increase in the tax rate for the upcoming year. The budget is a time consuming and difficult process every year. Councilors must balance the demand for services with the citizens’ ability to pay for these services.
Suffice to say we had many legitimate demands for services that would need to be prioritized; in particular in public safety, library and schools. It’s also safe to say the citizens’ ability to pay for increased services has been greatly impacted because of soaring energy costs, which have put a pinch in every family budget.
The public safety budget request received the highest priority this year. The need is obvious as our population continues to increase and our commercial tax base, in particular Haigis Parkway, is growing rapidly. Our Fire Department has documented a dramatic increase in calls over the past decade, while our numbers of volunteer fireman continue to decline. Something had to be done to mitigate this trend.
Fire Department Chief Thurlow presented a detailed analysis and a plan to ensure the needs of the department will be met long into the future. The plan is projected to be phased in over a 10-year period to minimize the tax burden. The plan calls for full time coverage for each of the 10 pieces of apparatus that are on line at our six stations. It will take an additional four firefighter/paramedics per year to implement this plan to completion. In addition, two more employees were approved for the Rescue Department to have 24-hour supervisory coverage.
The town subsidy for the library budget increased 5.6 percent, which was beyond the 3 percent directive of the Town Council Finance Committee. The primary reasons for this increase are to adjust the pay schedule to be more in line with the town’s pay structure, as well as to add a full time employee that was previously part time. The library hasn’t added a full time employee in over a decade. The Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget was reduced $350,000 because no firm estimates were available to thoroughly evaluate and/or justify the need.
A $1,650,000 increase was approved for the school budget, which was $875,000 less than requested by the Board of Education. For perspective, consider this increase is higher than the prior three-year average ($1,484,000) and six-year average ($1,380,000). It’s a matter of semantics to say the budget was “cut” when the budget increased by $1,650,000. The school CIP budget of $2,214,000 was approved in its entirety.
The political rhetoric that the town isn’t supportive of its schools is not supported by the facts. In addition to the data provided for the upcoming year, please consider the following. The school budget in 1998 was $13,661,000. The school budget in 2008 was $28,735,000. The school budget more than doubled (109 percent) in this 10-year period, while enrollment increased by 594 students (22 percent). A $27 million expansion of Scarborough High School was approved, as well as an another $14.6 million in CIP funding.
Pay and benefits make up at least 80 percent of the school budget. According to data provided by the Superintendent of Schools, in 1999 we had one full time equivalent employee for every 7.4 students. Using projections for next year, we will have added one full time equivalent employee for every 3.5 new students over the past five years, more than double the district average from a decade ago. This rate of hiring is unsustainable and will have significant future budget implications if it’s not managed more judiciously in the coming years. Quality schools is a common goal, but we must also live within our means.
In closing, many communities have discussed holding the line on budget increases this year due to the economy. I would suggest they’re late to the party. Scarborough has taken this thought and has used it for every budget for the past 12 years. The average tax rate increase has been 2.8 percent during this period, while we have added to the high quality of municipal and school services our citizens’ desire. That we have healthy debate on the competing needs is part of the democratic process.
Jeffrey Messer, Chairman
Scarborough Town Council
The Scarborough Town Council recently passed the municipal budget with a 2.97 percent increase in the tax rate for the upcoming year. The budget is a time consuming and difficult process every year. Councilors must balance the demand for services with the citizens’ ability to pay for these services.
Suffice to say we had many legitimate demands for services that would need to be prioritized; in particular in public safety, library and schools. It’s also safe to say the citizens’ ability to pay for increased services has been greatly impacted because of soaring energy costs, which have put a pinch in every family budget.
The public safety budget request received the highest priority this year. The need is obvious as our population continues to increase and our commercial tax base, in particular Haigis Parkway, is growing rapidly. Our Fire Department has documented a dramatic increase in calls over the past decade, while our numbers of volunteer fireman continue to decline. Something had to be done to mitigate this trend.
Fire Department Chief Thurlow presented a detailed analysis and a plan to ensure the needs of the department will be met long into the future. The plan is projected to be phased in over a 10-year period to minimize the tax burden. The plan calls for full time coverage for each of the 10 pieces of apparatus that are on line at our six stations. It will take an additional four firefighter/paramedics per year to implement this plan to completion. In addition, two more employees were approved for the Rescue Department to have 24-hour supervisory coverage.
The town subsidy for the library budget increased 5.6 percent, which was beyond the 3 percent directive of the Town Council Finance Committee. The primary reasons for this increase are to adjust the pay schedule to be more in line with the town’s pay structure, as well as to add a full time employee that was previously part time. The library hasn’t added a full time employee in over a decade. The Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget was reduced $350,000 because no firm estimates were available to thoroughly evaluate and/or justify the need.
A $1,650,000 increase was approved for the school budget, which was $875,000 less than requested by the Board of Education. For perspective, consider this increase is higher than the prior three-year average ($1,484,000) and six-year average ($1,380,000). It’s a matter of semantics to say the budget was “cut” when the budget increased by $1,650,000. The school CIP budget of $2,214,000 was approved in its entirety.
The political rhetoric that the town isn’t supportive of its schools is not supported by the facts. In addition to the data provided for the upcoming year, please consider the following. The school budget in 1998 was $13,661,000. The school budget in 2008 was $28,735,000. The school budget more than doubled (109 percent) in this 10-year period, while enrollment increased by 594 students (22 percent). A $27 million expansion of Scarborough High School was approved, as well as an another $14.6 million in CIP funding.
Pay and benefits make up at least 80 percent of the school budget. According to data provided by the Superintendent of Schools, in 1999 we had one full time equivalent employee for every 7.4 students. Using projections for next year, we will have added one full time equivalent employee for every 3.5 new students over the past five years, more than double the district average from a decade ago. This rate of hiring is unsustainable and will have significant future budget implications if it’s not managed more judiciously in the coming years. Quality schools is a common goal, but we must also live within our means.
In closing, many communities have discussed holding the line on budget increases this year due to the economy. I would suggest they’re late to the party. Scarborough has taken this thought and has used it for every budget for the past 12 years. The average tax rate increase has been 2.8 percent during this period, while we have added to the high quality of municipal and school services our citizens’ desire. That we have healthy debate on the competing needs is part of the democratic process.
Jeffrey Messer, Chairman
Scarborough Town Council
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