Stephen Bowen: The real worth of school budget validation process
Bangor Daily News, February 16, 2008
(excerpt) Had state average school budget growth over that same period been held to the 2.59 percent average achieved by the three SADs using the budget validation process, Maine taxpayers would have saved almost $40 million.
In Augusta, though, the budget validation process has been criticized as being unworkable and unnecessary. Proposals have been put forward to either postpone the requirement that districts use the process or remove the budget referendum mandate altogether.
The evidence shows, however, that where the process has been used, it is not only overwhelmingly popular with voters, it leads to substantial savings — savings well above whatever additional costs the process itself may impose.
Clearly the additional budget oversight accorded voters by the budget validation process must remain a central component of the school district reorganization effort if Maine is ever to see any meaningful school budget savings in the years ahead.
(excerpt) Had state average school budget growth over that same period been held to the 2.59 percent average achieved by the three SADs using the budget validation process, Maine taxpayers would have saved almost $40 million.
In Augusta, though, the budget validation process has been criticized as being unworkable and unnecessary. Proposals have been put forward to either postpone the requirement that districts use the process or remove the budget referendum mandate altogether.
The evidence shows, however, that where the process has been used, it is not only overwhelmingly popular with voters, it leads to substantial savings — savings well above whatever additional costs the process itself may impose.
Clearly the additional budget oversight accorded voters by the budget validation process must remain a central component of the school district reorganization effort if Maine is ever to see any meaningful school budget savings in the years ahead.
1 Comments:
Maybe the only real savings from the reorganization plan will not come from consolidation, but rather from the requirements for more public scrutiny through the referendum budget validation process.
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