Letter to the Editor: Bing's Budget Letter is False and Inaccurate

The following letter was submitted to Patch by former Bloomfield School Board member Susan Wolf.

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The following letter was submitted to Patch by former Bloomfield School Board member Susan Wolf.

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The Budget letter that Superintendent Bing posted on the Website is false and inaccurate. The School Budget Meeting on March 12 was an attempt to mislead and confuse the public regarding the current budget. There has been a complete lack of transparency and accountability.

Mr. Bing has accused the prior board of reducing necessary facility projects. This is simply not true. The leaky roof that plagued the high school for many years prior to 2008 was replaced. The fence around the high school was removed when the cornice was finally fixed. There were at least three new boilers installed. Brookdale School received new ceilings and doors. It was stated that the prior board didn’t fund necessary programs like technology. The year the budget was zero percent, technology was increased 40.5 percent.

Mr. Bing stated that by not budgeting to cap, the district could not amass a savings. When I was voted onto the board in 2008, the board was operating with a deficit. In 2011/2012 when the board came to the taxpayers with a zero percent tax increase there was a $1.5 million SURPLUS. I don’t know what was done with that money by the next administration.

It should be noted that Mr. Bing had heavy involvement in the 2011/2012 budget since the board recognized this was going to be the budget he would be working under. That budget came in at a total of $86.3 million. The proposed budget for 2013/2014 is almost $96 million. That is an additional $10 million. Where is the money going?

Mr. Bing blamed the ratables, stating that they decreased by $125 million during the past few years. During the 2010/2011 budget, the ratables that Mr. Bing is referring to decreased $112 million. It is amazing that ratables were not even discussed during last year’s budget. Obviously, this Board is double dipping, blaming a problem that was addressed during the 2010/2011 budget. Is Mr. Bing stating the ratables have gone down $237 million, since 2010?

The board and Mr. Bing need to step up and stop blaming their overspending and incompetence on everybody else. This Administration along with the support of the Board of Education has gone on a spending spree, now they need you the taxpayer to bail them out.