School officials like the idea of delaying votes on budgets
Portland Press Herald, December 17, 2007
(excerpt) Some school officials support what could be a reprieve from holding local votes on their budgets next year.
The Educational and Cultural Affairs Committee has recommended delaying the budget referendum process required under the state's new school district consolidation law. If the Legislature approves the delay, school districts that would have been required to put the school budgets before voters for approval starting in 2008 would not have to do so until 2009. If that postponement passes, new accounting procedures in the provision also would be delayed.
The budget validation process had school districts statewide scrambling to meet the new requirements that some predicted would be costly and require repeated votes to win approval.
"It would be a very good move by the Legislature to postpone this for a year so we are not lumping consolidation issues along with budget issues," said Suzanne Godin, South Portland school superintendent.
Education Commissioner Susan Gendron endorsed the delay. She said the budget validation process was designed to create more transparency within the budgeting process, but with school districts caught up with the complexities of working out mergers with other districts, it made sense to delay the new budget adoption measures.
(excerpt) Some school officials support what could be a reprieve from holding local votes on their budgets next year.
The Educational and Cultural Affairs Committee has recommended delaying the budget referendum process required under the state's new school district consolidation law. If the Legislature approves the delay, school districts that would have been required to put the school budgets before voters for approval starting in 2008 would not have to do so until 2009. If that postponement passes, new accounting procedures in the provision also would be delayed.
The budget validation process had school districts statewide scrambling to meet the new requirements that some predicted would be costly and require repeated votes to win approval.
"It would be a very good move by the Legislature to postpone this for a year so we are not lumping consolidation issues along with budget issues," said Suzanne Godin, South Portland school superintendent.
Education Commissioner Susan Gendron endorsed the delay. She said the budget validation process was designed to create more transparency within the budgeting process, but with school districts caught up with the complexities of working out mergers with other districts, it made sense to delay the new budget adoption measures.
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