Council Rejects Portsmouth School Committee's $1 Million Budget Deal
The Portsmouth Town Council voted down a $1 million deal proposed by School Committee member Jon Harris Thursday night.
The Portsmouth Town Council held a budget workshop Thursday night to discuss the $58.2 million provisional budget.
Featured here are actions taken during the workshop.
The council must still approve the proposed 2012-2013 fiscal year budget, which is attached at right, before the budget is finalized. The vote will take place after a public hearing, which will be held on June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Portsmouth Middle School.
For a complete schedule of the town's budget hearings, see the pdf attached or click here.
As stated in Town Administrator John Klimm's message to the council:
This budget proposal requests a total of $58,210,858 of which $47,180,235 is requested from our local taxpayers through the property tax or a 3% increase in our tax levy to accomplish these goals. It includes a 3% reduction in the town operating budget and a 3.67% increase in the town’s appropriation to the school budget, with a concomitant amount transferred from school surplus to the town’s fund balance.
Klimm previously said this budget, if passed, would raise the tax rate 2.5% or about $122 for the average household in Portsmouth.
Robert E
9:55 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
They might want to add a few hundred thousand for wind turbine repairs.
getreal
1:46 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
A few hundred thousand like they have spent on legal fees?
Town resident for many years
6:35 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I can not believe that Jon Harris proposed a deal to the Town Council without a vote by the School Committee for him to do so. Who is in charge of the Schools, it looks like Jon Harris and Jon Harris alone. For him to try to make a deal with the Town Council on his own, is unconscionable. Who does he think he is for goodness sake. He is not the only elected School Committee member and should be reprimanded for his actions. Who even knows if his figures are correct, any backup? Why does the School Department have a 1.4 million surplus if times are so bad. What is this guy talking about. At the School Committee meetings we hear from him that there isn't enough money for books. 1.4 million is certainly enough for books and more. Something is very wrong.
getreal
7:00 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Town Res. Has many valid points. Just think of it this way, Larry Fitzmorris runs the town and John Harris runs the schools. I do not know why anyone else needs to run or show up.
Town resident for many years
7:25 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
getreal, so true and very sad. All our elected officials should be ashamed for allowing this to happen.
East side
8:43 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
...and 1.5 million for legal fees for the sewer system mess.
getreal
10:16 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
And........how much for the alpaca farm law suit?