Home » News » Politics
June 12. 2012 6:17PM
Manchester aldermen override mayor's veto and pass city, school budgets
MANCHESTER – The Board of Aldermen are sending the school district $152 million next fiscal year, which will save about 55 teachers slated for layoffs.
The aldermen also approved a $134 million city budget that uses union concession savings to prevent layoffs in the Highway and Welfare Departments.
Both the city and school budgets passed in a 10-4 vote. Mayor Ted Gatsas vetoed both budgets, criticizing the aldermen for sending $2 million in expected city surplus to the school district. The 10-4 margin was enough to override Gatsas' veto.
Gatsas said the surplus is a one-time funding source, which should not be used to fund salaries and benefits on the school side.
“I warn you, we'll be back here next year and someone's going to have to say 50 teachers are going home,” said Gatsas.
Four aldermen agreed. Aldermen Bill Shea, Phil Greazzo, Jim Roy and Russ Ouellette voted against the budgets and to uphold Gatsas' veto.
The alternative budget passed during Tuesday's special board meeting was put together by Alderman Joyce Craig, who has pushed hard for more funding for the Manchester School District above the $150 million Gatsas proposed in his budget.
“The ramp collapse at Beech Street School is symbolic of the state of our schools,” said Craig. “We are always reactionary and patching things up. This budget funds (the city and schools) fairly but keeps us below the tax cap.”
Gatsas' budget came with an estimated tax rate increase of 1.41 percent, but Craig's budget lowered that number through the use of surplus and additional revenue projections from car registrations to a 1.37 percent increase. Those aldermen that voted for Craig's budget said saving teachers and lowering the projected tax increase made the budget hard to resist.
“I don't want to hear the blame game anymore,” said Alderman Barbara Shaw. “Right now, we have to do what we can to do as much as we can without raising the tax rate. This actually lowers it from the previous budget. It helps return teachers and it's for the safety and good of our students.”
But opponents mentioned the reluctance of the school staff to make union concessions and the Board of School Committee's past reliance on one-time funds for staffing as reasons to keep the school budget at the mayor's $150 million level.
“When do we find out how we're going to get rid of this pink-slipping every year and having the aldermen be the bad guy because the city doesn't have the money,” said Ouellette. “When we talk about what we can do as aldermen, we have to be part of the solution but we can't do it alone. The teachers have to be part of the solution, principals have to be part of the solution, the school board has to be part of the solution.”
What divided the board was how the city's expected $3 million in surplus would be used next fiscal year. The budget passed by the aldermen sends $1 million to prepay city retirement costs and sends the rest to the school district. Gatsas had proposed using the rest for repairing sidewalks, paying for the new recycling toters and an engineering study at the Derryfield golf course.
Craig's budget still pays for the golf course and toters, but uses $250,000 from the one-time account for the Derryfield and $435,000 from the one-time account for the recycling toters.
To further help the school district, Craig proposed deferring a $428,000 loan payment the school district owes the city next year, freeing up that funding for other uses. Craig's budget also puts aside $55,000 to maintain the current police station when the Police Department moves to the new municipal complex in December, funds a city domestic violence prosecutor no longer being funded by the county and $150,000 for unexpected costs at the new Fleet Maintenance garage.
The $152 million sent to schools is the roughly the same amount the school board requested earlier this school year. Although an estimated 55 laid off staff can be brought back under this budget, there will likely be about 160 vacant positions left open to balance the school budget.
Layoffs go into effect on July 1.
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Brennan said on Tuesday afternoon his staff was working on moving staff to different schools to cover core classes. This summer, administration will meet with the school board to decide which school programs will remain and which need to be eliminated to balance the budget.
Beth LaMontagne Hall may be reached at bhall@unionleader.com.
The aldermen also approved a $134 million city budget that uses union concession savings to prevent layoffs in the Highway and Welfare Departments.
Both the city and school budgets passed in a 10-4 vote. Mayor Ted Gatsas vetoed both budgets, criticizing the aldermen for sending $2 million in expected city surplus to the school district. The 10-4 margin was enough to override Gatsas' veto.
Gatsas said the surplus is a one-time funding source, which should not be used to fund salaries and benefits on the school side.
“I warn you, we'll be back here next year and someone's going to have to say 50 teachers are going home,” said Gatsas.
Four aldermen agreed. Aldermen Bill Shea, Phil Greazzo, Jim Roy and Russ Ouellette voted against the budgets and to uphold Gatsas' veto.
The alternative budget passed during Tuesday's special board meeting was put together by Alderman Joyce Craig, who has pushed hard for more funding for the Manchester School District above the $150 million Gatsas proposed in his budget.
“The ramp collapse at Beech Street School is symbolic of the state of our schools,” said Craig. “We are always reactionary and patching things up. This budget funds (the city and schools) fairly but keeps us below the tax cap.”
Gatsas' budget came with an estimated tax rate increase of 1.41 percent, but Craig's budget lowered that number through the use of surplus and additional revenue projections from car registrations to a 1.37 percent increase. Those aldermen that voted for Craig's budget said saving teachers and lowering the projected tax increase made the budget hard to resist.
“I don't want to hear the blame game anymore,” said Alderman Barbara Shaw. “Right now, we have to do what we can to do as much as we can without raising the tax rate. This actually lowers it from the previous budget. It helps return teachers and it's for the safety and good of our students.”
But opponents mentioned the reluctance of the school staff to make union concessions and the Board of School Committee's past reliance on one-time funds for staffing as reasons to keep the school budget at the mayor's $150 million level.
“When do we find out how we're going to get rid of this pink-slipping every year and having the aldermen be the bad guy because the city doesn't have the money,” said Ouellette. “When we talk about what we can do as aldermen, we have to be part of the solution but we can't do it alone. The teachers have to be part of the solution, principals have to be part of the solution, the school board has to be part of the solution.”
What divided the board was how the city's expected $3 million in surplus would be used next fiscal year. The budget passed by the aldermen sends $1 million to prepay city retirement costs and sends the rest to the school district. Gatsas had proposed using the rest for repairing sidewalks, paying for the new recycling toters and an engineering study at the Derryfield golf course.
Craig's budget still pays for the golf course and toters, but uses $250,000 from the one-time account for the Derryfield and $435,000 from the one-time account for the recycling toters.
To further help the school district, Craig proposed deferring a $428,000 loan payment the school district owes the city next year, freeing up that funding for other uses. Craig's budget also puts aside $55,000 to maintain the current police station when the Police Department moves to the new municipal complex in December, funds a city domestic violence prosecutor no longer being funded by the county and $150,000 for unexpected costs at the new Fleet Maintenance garage.
The $152 million sent to schools is the roughly the same amount the school board requested earlier this school year. Although an estimated 55 laid off staff can be brought back under this budget, there will likely be about 160 vacant positions left open to balance the school budget.
Layoffs go into effect on July 1.
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Brennan said on Tuesday afternoon his staff was working on moving staff to different schools to cover core classes. This summer, administration will meet with the school board to decide which school programs will remain and which need to be eliminated to balance the budget.
- - - - - - - -
Beth LaMontagne Hall may be reached at bhall@unionleader.com.
» SHARE EVENTS FOR PUBLICATION, IT'S FREE!
Upcoming Events
- Should Manchester's mayor receive a 59% pay raise?
- Yes
- 23%
- No
- 77%
- Total Votes: 292