Remember the local Boy Scout troop whose treasurer was arrested on suspicion of embezzling up to $25,000 from the group?
Downtown merchants are holding a fundraiser for the kids on Sunday. Read more here.You can also check out the event’s Facebook page here.
Lodi Unified Superintendent Cathy Nichols-Washer e-mailed the following list of questions and answers to district employees today. Certainly union leaders and community members have many more questions about the budget, but this appears to be a pretty good sample of what types of things people want to know.
Here’s the unedited FAQs. It’s also posted on the Lodi Unified Web site.
Frequently Asked Questions on Budget
There have been many questions and rumors about budget issues. I would like to address a few that have surfaced the most in order to help clarify our current status and decisions that have been made so far.
What is the status of the recommendations from the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Committee?
The recommendations are a public document and can be found on our web site. They were sent to all employees and Board members on December 15, 2009. As we move through the budget development process, time sensitive items from the committee’s recommendations will go to the Board. For example, at the March 9 study session, the Board will review information regarding reductions in transportation and school consolidations. Both items are from the Committee’s list.
Why weren’t the Committee’s recommendations taken before the layoff resolutions?
The majority of the Committee’s recommendations result in layoffs which are reflected in the resolutions. Most of the remaining recommendations include millions of dollars in negotiated items. Since we must identify exact dollar amounts for our 2010-2011 budget, the Board needed to make sure it can identify $30 million by June 30. With the March 15, legal timeline for certificated notices for potential layoffs, the Board had to take action at the last Board meeting in order to meet the legal deadline for delivering layoff notices.
Why is Lodi the only district approving these layoffs?
Lodi is not the only district facing massive layoffs. A few examples of layoff resolution numbers: Elk Grove – 600, Tracy – 150 certificated employees, Stockton – over 200 certificated employees, Modesto – over 300 certificated employees, San Juan Unified – 605 layoff notices.
Are the layoff resolutions the final budget plan?
The Board took legal action to reduce and/or eliminate services in order to meet their fiscal responsibility to have a balanced budget by June 30, in the absence of other solutions that meet the $30 million shortfall. The final budget is adopted in June.
Why isn’t the District looking at cuts that don’t affect people?
With almost 90% of our budget in personnel costs, very few budget reduction strategies don’t impact people. Some of the strategies we are looking at include: reductions in benchmarks, closing buildings during breaks, charging for athletic transportation, reducing district office supply budgets and utilizing textbook money to help with the shortfall (as allowed by law). In addition, we continue to seek additional revenues through our departments that can generate funds such as food services and transportation.
Do we still have to cut $30 million?
Yes. At this point, we are still looking at a $30 million shortfall for 2010-2011. This problem could get larger. The Governor has called a special session of the legislature to address the state budget problem and the Governor’s budget proposal will be revised in May. In addition, the state will still need to adopt a final budget. Our situation could change due to any of those situations.
Was $18 million hidden in the budget and discovered by the unions?
No. The Board was informed at a public Board meeting at the beginning of this year’s budget process that we would have a very high ending balance due to the timing of the federal stimulus funds and the Legislature’s actions on how money flowed to districts.
Has the Board imposed furlough days or other reductions for all employees?
No. The Board imposed five (5) one-time furlough days, seven (7) ongoing furlough days, a pause in step movement (for one year), and a 2% salary reduction for administrators and confidential employees.
Is it true that employees at the JAESC are spending district money on Taco Bell and Coffee Houses?
No. Throughout the year, our warrants will show these types of expenditures. School sites utilize them for student incentive programs. The warrant items that were mentioned at the Board meeting were from our high schools and utilized funds from grants for student incentive programs.
Did the Budget Advisory Committee recommend eliminating cell phones?
No. The committee discussed this issue but decided not to include it on their list of recommendations. The District does receive a substantial rebate on cell phone costs.
Why isn’t the District pursuing the 4-day work week concept?
This was suggested last year and the Board did not give direction to pursue this. One important consideration is that it would negatively impact retirement for employees. In addition, the District would stand to lose millions of dollars if it fails to provide the required number of instructional days and minutes, unless the laws were to be waived for LUSD. A local legislator would need to carry this through the process. Our employee groups did not express interest in pursuing this idea. It would require negotiations.
How can people make suggestions for budget cuts?
You can e-mail through this e-mail address, call or send in written suggestions to the Superintendent’s office. If you would like the suggestions forwarded to Board members, we can do that for you or we can give you the contact information. You can also speak at a Board meeting regarding a specific agenda item or under “Public Comments” if there is no item pertaining to the topic you wish to address.
Isn’t it too late to make suggestions?
No. The Board adopts their budget in June. You may submit suggestions any time up until that point.
Last year, state volunteers installed sandbags and plastics tarps as a temporary remedy to the severe erosion along the Lodi Lake Nature Area’s riverbank.
According to these photos from city spokesman Jeff Hood, it doesn’t look like those repairs, which cost about $5,000, held up very well. Many of the sandbags have disappeared, it seems.
Lodi was recently denied state grant funds for permanent riverbank fixes.
(Interim Parks and Recreation Director Jim Rodems presumably enjoys some coffee while recently surveying the worsening erosion.)
A few random notes and news items.
On the education beat…
The Jim Elliot High School robotics team is inching closer to their March departure for Israel where they will take part in a 10-day tour of the country while also participating in a robotics competition. The school on Monday night was visited by representatives of the Israeli Consulate of the Pacific Northwest, school board member Jamie Howen said. The team is still working on fundraising efforts to send the 30 students. The cost per student is $2,600, which has been fronted by parents.
…
Teacher George Neely has built a Web site to Save Lodi Schools. Neely has been critical of administrators during budget cuts, and the site includes information
From the Real Estate desk:
I’ve seen a couple news stories now on an Ohio man named Terry Hoskins who bulldozed his $350,000 home in order to avoid foreclosure after his attempts to work with his bank were unsuccessful. Apparently IRS liens led to the bank going after his house for collateral, and since he only owes $160,000 on the house, he decided to bulldoze it. Hoskins is quoted as saying he tore down the house to “send a message” and make sure banks don’t wrongly take homes away from people.
I don’t know anymore than what I’ve read in the news, but it sounds to me like Hoskins is not only picking a fight with a bank, but with the IRS too. Don’t be surprised if this all ends badly for Hoskins.
Lodi resident Dave Christy says it’s time to get rid of Lodi’s Electric Utility. For too many years the city-run power provider has been aiding the city’s taxpayer-supported general fund with millions in rate revenue, Christy said.
“Government does not belong in private enterprise, and Lodi has turned this into an enterprise, for profit,” Christy, who has written a couple of letters to the local paper about the issue, told me today.
On Monday, the Acampo business owner went to City Hall looking to file a petition. Under the heading “Lodi Citizens for Fair Electric Rates,” he wrote:
The Founding Fathers of the City of Lodi started the Lodi Electric Utility to service its citizens at an affordable rate. Like all government run agencies the Lodi Electric Utility has become a tool to tax its’ rate payers to cushion the overspending of tax dollars. Therefore, we the undersigned citizens, i.e., the owners of the Lodi Electric Utility, move to place on the next general election ballot, the Lodi Electric Utility shall be placed, “FOR SALE” to the highest bidder regulated by the California Public Utility Commission…”
City Clerk Randi Johl told him the proposed petition did not meet Election Code requirements and that it needed tweaking before the city could accept it. Christy said he’ll work on that.
“We’re getting that taken care of now,” he said. “It’s just part of the over-complex way everything is run in our society these days.”
New Fire Chief Kevin Donnelly was sworn in this afternoon in the City Council chambers to a crowd of family, friends, city staff and, of course, many firefighters.
City Manager Blair Kingpraised Donnelly’s leadership, expertise and team-mindedness as he worked his way up through the ranks since joining the department in 1991. “He had everything I was looking for,” King said.
Mayor Phil Katzakian ribbed the new chief a bit. “I’ve yet to get the $5 tour or a ride in a fire truck, so keep me in mind,” he said.
Donnelly’s mother, Janice, pinned the new badge on him, and his wife, Cathy (who is also a city emergency dispatcher), pinned his lapels. Then he gave a brief speech in which he thanked his family, friends, supporters in City Hall and his fellow firefighters.
“Nothing gets done without you,” he told them. “I won’t let you down.”
Then it was on to cake.
(p.s. I wanted to post pictures from the event, but I’m having technical difficulties. If and when I get it resolved I may put them up here.)
The Lodi City Council (very) late last night asked city staff to write a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Authority stating the city’s preference a rail line from Merced to Sacramento run through Lodi.
A current proposal bypasses Lodi, officials said. And that might hurt Lodi’s chances of getting a separate, commuter train stop at the downtown transit station, officials said. Lodi has long wanted a regional rail stop at its downtown location in hopes of spurring economic and residential growth there.
It’s nearing crunch time for school labor negotiations
It’s March 1, and the next couple months are going to be intense as school districts try to slash budgets, and union groups consider what concessions they might or might not be willing to make.
On March 4, there will be a variety of education rallies hosted by coalitions and union leaders. The goal is to raise awareness, but depending on who you ask, time might be better served working out a plan that will help save jobs and keep class sizes small.
In this Sacramento Bee column Sunday, columnist Marcos Breton suggests Sac City teachers start making some concessions.
In Lodi Unified, Superintendnet Cathy Nichols-Washer has blamed the Legislature for the problem, but placed the onus on union groups to concede in order to reduce what could be 400 layoffs. Step-and-column raise freezes, furlough days, and potentially a percentage pay cut are on the bargaining table.
Administrators have taken furloughs. They’ve already seen the pay cut out of their checks, I’m told.
Teachers, on the other hand, are pointing at administrators and their six figure salaries. There’s a lot of fat in the budget, starting with Blackberry cell phones. There are a few high paying jobs the district could do without also, teachers say.
Will there be a middle ground? Can unions make concessions that will save jobs, perhaps keep class sizes low? Will the district’s Blackberrys go black, making administrators pay for their own cell phone plans should they need one for daily communication?
The board meets Tuesday night. There is no expected resolution to happen now, but the next few months will be intense.