recertified B-R School Budget
July 1, 2007
If the budget is not approved at Annual Town Meeting -- MGL ch71 S16b -- "In the event that the regional school district budget in a regional school district is not approved by at least two-thirds of the member municipalities as required by this section, the regional school district committee shall have thirty days to reconsider, amend and resubmit a budget on the basis of the issues raised."
This is the question some of the Bridgewater Selectmen and Town Counsel are raising. However, when does the clock start ticking is truly an interesting question? Some could argue at any of the following dates : May 7 Bridgewater Town Mtg, May 21 Raynham TM... or June 16 with Bridgewater voting on the Contingency budget (failed) or Raynham voting June 30 on Contingency budget (passed).
My belief is that since both towns created two budgets at their respective Town Meetings, and the Contingency clause would be addressed in a timely manner (40 days after Town Meeting), it was our responsibility as elected School Committee members to wait until the ballots to learn which budget would be in place. As it turns out, Bridgewater voted first and did not pass the Contingent override but Raynham voted second and did pass the Contingent override.
The School Committee is not using a loophole or trick in moving forward with a district-wide meeting, but merely following the process as written in Mass General Laws. While there are about 329 school systems in the State, I have counted only 28 two-town districts, not many in this part of the State. This is key to the uniqueness of the use of the statute. Because the law reads two-thirds, that means unanimous in a two-town school systems, but there could be a split vote in three or more town school districts. As elected School Committee members, we are following the legal process set by law, to determine the will of the people in regards to running the school system.
Some are arguing that the schools already had an override vote, so let the will of the people be heard. The laws allow - require - us to follow a process. If that leads to another override ballot, so be it. However, perhaps the Bridgewater override failed because the public was concerned with the allocation of $1.4M for general government? While the School Committee answered questions about our recent contracts including revisions to health insurance (changes in employer/employee shares to 85/15 or 80/20, and elimination of Master Medical indemnity plan) and holding annual increases to 2.5%, the Town has been slow to move on health insurance changes and just gave 3.5% raises to employees.
The facts are that the B-R School Committee voted to resubmit a budget on June 20th. The 45-day clock, based on MGL, has started and ends on Saturday August 4th. Bridgewater scheduled a Special Town Meeting for July 10th, so there was a possibility that the Bridgewater Selectmen could have added this to the agenda or called a second Special Meeting on the same night. Bridgewater has in the past had more than one Town Meeting on the same night. Some people have raised concerns about the costs that B-R is forcing on the community, however, the Town would already be incurring a cost for a 5-item Special Town Meeting.
Should Bridgewater not accept the resubmitted budget, the following copied from MGL applies:
"In the case of a two-member regional school district, if the appropriating authority of either member municipality votes not to appropriate the amount so reapportioned and re-certified to it, the provisions of the following paragraph shall apply.
"The regional school district committee shall convene a special district-wide meeting open to all registered voters in both municipalities at which the amended regional school district budget, proposed by the regional school district committee, shall be considered."
Note the word SHALL, in regards to convening a special district-wide meeting. That word is not normally associated with a 'maybe' situation, but rather directs the next action -- the special district-wide meeting.
In conclusion, I urge the citizens of Bridgewater to contact the Board of Selectmen and express their frustration with how the process is transpiring. Normally, I would recommend that citizens be heard at a scheduled Public Forum at a Selectmen's Meeting, however the Selectmen after previously posting an agenda with Public Forum included mysteriously removed the item at the last moment from the Tuesday June 26th meeting. Many citizens attended this meeting, anticipating an opportunity to be heard. The next meeting of the B-R School Committee is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday July 18th - and we always encourage the public to speak and be heard.
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
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