Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Month – November 2009

Our Fire Companies — No Reinstatement of Their Budget Cut!

November 30, 2009
8 Comments

Tonight’s Board of Supervisor meeting tested my faith in our local government. The audience witnessed our supervisors heap accolades on our firefighters, praise their saving of a handicapped, wheel-chair bound resident in Chesterbrook on Thanksgiving Day, and then watched as the firehouse representatives groveled to have their 5% Tredyffrin Township 2010 budget cut reinstituted. How is it possible that in one meeting, our supervisors can extol the virtues of our volunteer firefighters and their life-risking efforts and at the same time (some of the supervisors) can vote to take away township support? And yes, the supervisors can vote to leave the annual fireworks in the budget (I think that budget line item was $20K). I am all about the 4th of July and fireworks, but does this seem an equitable trade?

Let’s remember tonight’s meeting when some of these individuals take to the campaign trail and speak of their emergency services support.

As for the BAWG report and the St. Davids Golf Club’s $50K cash offer — I think I better sleep on it before I write how I feel about that part of tonight’s experience. I have to remind myself that I will take the higher road and not follow the example of other’s bad manners.

Understanding Township Planning Commission Authority

November 29, 2009
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So that everyone is on the same page, here is the description of the township’s Planning Commission and its authority. It seems fairly clear that the Planning Commission is the last word on land development in the township.

From the Tredyffrin Township website:

“Tredyffrin’s Planning Commission is a volunteer group of nine residents appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Each member is appointed to a four-year term. The Board of Supervisors has authorized the Planning Commission to prepare, update and oversee implementation of the Comprehensive Plan, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance and to review land development and subdivision applications. Land development decisions by the Planning Commission are final, while the Board of Supervisors has final approval authority on all subdivision applications.”

Did the BAWG committee consult the Planning Commissioners before including the St. Davids Golf Club’s $50K sidewalk offer in their report?

The Plot Thickens . . .

November 28, 2009
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I continue to focus on the mystery $50K offer from St. Davids Golf Club which appears in the recently released BAWG report. Details and bio information concerning one of the BAWG members has surfaced which could begin to answer some of my questions. John Petersen speaks directly to this subject in his recent posting on Tredyffrin Township Political Notebook.

I understand that the budget suggestions made by the BAWG committee to the Board of Supervisors are just that suggestions. However, by making the BAWG report public on the township website, its contents are then available as public record (and public scrutiny). If the mission of the BAWG was to look at all available revenue resources, than one might assume that the $50K offer from St. Davids Golf Club is an available revenue resource. But in my way of thinking, the St. Davids Golf Club sidewalk offer is not an available revenue resource. The Planning Commission’s decision to include the sidewalk requirement was part of the contractual agreement between the township and St. Davids Golf Club for their building project. Although previous attempts were made by St. Davids representatives for ‘relief’ of this land development requirement, as of now the requirement for the sidewalks still stands. This is not negotiable and therefore can not be represented by the BAWG report as an ‘available revenue resource’.

Countdown to Board of Supervisor Meeting. . . Looking for Answers

November 27, 2009
2 Comments

Full Disclosure Request

Where are you going to be Monday night at 7:30 PM? I suggest that you either attend Tredyffrin Twp’s Board of Supervisors meeting or tune in from home.

There are questions swirling in regards to the recently released BAWG report and the suggestion of a $50K offer from St. Davids Golf Club in regards to the sidewalk construction. St. Davids Golf Club has been in default since July 2008 to build the sidewalks and now mysteriously this $50K offer from the country club appears in the BAWG report. Since BAWG released its report, I have been trying to get the following questions answered, but to date I have come up short.

  • Where did the $50K St. Davids Golf Club offer come from?
  • Was this a written offer from St. Davids Golf Club Board of Directors and was it made directly to the BAWG committee?
  • Was the Township Solicitor, Township Manager and members of the Board of Supervisors advised of the St. Davids Golf Club offer (prior to BAWG’s publication of its report)?
  • If this is a written offer, what are the conditions and timeline for its acceptance? Who has the authority to accept the offer?
  • Was this offer and the details discussed with the Planning Commission or Sidewalks, Trail & Paths (STAP) Committee prior to appearing in the BAWG report?
  • Are any of the members of the BAWG committee also members of St. Davids Golf Club?
  • Are any of the members of the Board of Supervisor also members of St. Davids Golf Club?

Prior to Monday night’s Board of Supervisor meeting (and BAWG presentation), I suggest that you review the timeline (and Planning Commission minutes) that I put together for an earlier blog entry. Click here for St. Davids Golf Club Sidewalks – Is it to Nowhere?

It is my understanding the Tom Colman, Chairman of the BAWG committee will make a public presentation on the report and here’s hoping that there will be time for the public’s questions and answers. This is one taxpayer with questions, and so far . . . no answers.

Looking for School Board Budget Details

November 24, 2009
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I explored the Tredyffrin Easttown School Board website looking for current comprehensive school budget information. I found the final 2009-10 School Board budget which is marked ‘draft’ online. (I am assuming that this became the final budget). The document is actually a 6-page overview — the budget line listings are limited at best. The complete budget for the current fiscal year needs to be posted online. I would also like to see budgets from previous years linked to the school district website, for comparison.

Overwhelmingly, comments received from emails and phone calls have been in regards to teacher salaries, teacher union contracts and the process. Understanding the teacher salaries are the major component in the school district budget, I was hoping to be able to review the salary schedules, health care benefits, tuition reimbursement, union contract information, etc. Unfortunately this level of detail was not available on the district website. I did determine the combined school district salaries and benefits in the 2009-10 budget listed as $71,595,554. If my addition is correct, district salaries and benefits is equivalent to 65% of the total listed expenditures of $110,424,721. Now more than ever, with our continuing economic crisis, full disclosure and transparency is needed and would be welcomed by this taxpayer.

I suggest that the school district’s website include a section where it provides comprehensive information about, and copies of, the school district’s major contracts with employee organizations (unions) entitled to bargain collectively on behalf of teachers. The teacher contracts and benefits account for nearly 2/3 of the total districts costs and commit the school district to maintaining agreed-upon payments over many years. Unions representing teachers in Pennsylvania have the legal right to strike, so I would suggest including information on contract negotiations and proposed terms of future contracts, including:

  • Number of years the contract is proposed to remain in force
  • Salary schedules
  • Summary of health care benefits
  • Retirement incentives (bonuses, continuing health care coverage)
  • Days per year/hours per day worked
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Other personal benefits
  • Assessment of union dues for non-union members

Not being successful on the Tredyffrin Easttown School Board website, I researched beyond our school district in hopes of understanding the process. What I discovered was great variances in available information and level of transparency among the 501 public school districts in the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania spends approximately $22 billion annually on public education from all sources. About 35% of this money is appropriated by the General Assembly and allocated to local districts by formula. These formulas are partly set by programmatic factors (e.g., funds for “basic education” and “special education” are allocated separately) and by measures of a district’s potential tax base. For most Pennsylvania school districts the main source of local revenue is the property tax, followed by either an earned income tax (EIT) or personal income tax (PIT). Local districts have the legal right to levy other taxes, but many have abolished these so-called “nuisance taxes” on various grounds.

Since the passage of Act 1 of 2006, boards must announce during December of the year before a school fiscal year whether they will increase property taxes beyond a formula-determined ceiling or to request exceptions to this ceiling from the state.

All of this being said, do you think that our School Board will consider making more budget details available on the district website along with continuing updates on the 2010-11 budget process? Comments?

Tredyffrin Easttown School District – 7.2% Tax Increase Possible

November 23, 2009
7 Comments

In an update from the Tredyffrin Easttown School District, it is stated that there is a deficit of $1.5 million in the current school year (2009-2010) budget. This deficiency plus the current economic situation is affecting the 2010-11 budget decisions. It is anticipated that the 2010-11 school year’s expenses will exceed revenues by approximately $8 million! Act 1 of the 2006 Pennsylvania Tax Relief Act allows for a 2.9% increase. The 2.9% tax increase would provide additional $2 million revenue. This tax increase would not require voter referendum to pass. The School Board has not raised taxes above the annual index since Act 1’s enactment in 2006. However, even with the 2.9% tax increase, a $6 million deficit remains in the budget.

The School Board is allowed to increase taxes above the annual index based on specific allowable exceptions. The District’s analysis confirmed the eligibility for exceptions in (1) state mandated retirement rate increase, (2) special education and (3) maintenance of selected revenues. If these options are applied for and approved by the State, the School Board would have an option of raising taxes up to an additional 4.3% – combined with the allowable Act 1 increase of 2.9%, taxpayers could be looking at an increase of 7.2%! We understand that the current economic situation presents a real struggle for the School Board and the administration, but how to balance the budget? How do you want the School Board to balance the budget? Do they greatly increase taxes, reduce services, eliminate programs (such as FLES), increase existing fees, charge for extra-curriculum programs?

Tonight’s discussion at the School Board meeting should be very interesting — 7:30 PM at Conestoga HS. Come out and let your voice be heard! Here is a link to the agenda, October meeting minutes, correspondence and financials.

Tredyffrin Easttown School District's FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School) – Budget Cut?

November 23, 2009
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There is a T/E School Board meeting tonight at 7:30 PM. One of the major discussions tonight will be the possible elimination of the FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School) program. Many T/E parents strongly support the continuance of foreign language learning at the elementary school level. They believe that the T/E middle school foreign language program is accelerated compared to other school districts as a result of FLES. An online petition opposing the elimination of FLES has had 571 signatures since November 12 – click here for the petition. Will the supporters of FLES prevail? Stay tuned.

I’m hearing that our proposed school tax increase may be as high as 7.2%. Let’s hope that this isn’t so — let me do some further checking.

Families Helping Families – T & E Cares

November 22, 2009
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Thanksgiving is a few days away . . . and then the calendar will be closing in on Hanukkuh and Christmas. We have much to be thankful for in 2009 so let’s spread the goodwill and cheer throughout the community. If you want to help and give back locally, I suggest a visit to the website of a local nonprofit 501c3 organization, T & E Care for ways that you can help with their Holiday Drive 2009. The organization has identified 40 local families that need our help this holiday season with food, presents and gift cards. The website lists many ways that you can help your neighbors – and remember help is needed year-round, not just during the holidays.

I am proud to look at the T & E Care Board of Directors and know many of these people are my friends; they represent some of the ‘best of the best’ of this community. T & E Care believes in our community and believes in families helping families.

Celebrate these holidays by doing something for yourself . . . by doing something for others!

Thank you to Save Ardmore Coalition

November 21, 2009
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Save Ardmore Coalition, “working together for Lower Merion’s future” is a grassroots community organization that is dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Ardmore business district. However, many of the blog contributors including Carla, are interested in communities beyond their own backyard, including Tredyffrin Township. Carla has been following Mt. Pleasant’s neighborhood struggles and recently conducted a field trip to Mt. Pleasant to document the community. Her posting titled Visiting Mt. Pleasant: Another Small Neighborhood at Risk tells it all. Carla’s Mt. Pleasant photos.

I am excited that the Save Ardmore Coalition has announced my Community Matters in Tredyffrin Township blog to their audience; click here for the announcement. Communities helping communities is how we are going to make a difference! Thank you Save Ardmore Coalition for doing your part!

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