Chatham Resident: 'Community Supports Schools, Rejects Extravagant Spending'

This latest Letter to the Editor was submitted to Chatham Patch from Chatham Township resident, Susan O’Brien.

To the Editor,

Last week, the voters had a chance to speak on the school board election. The results were the following: The school budget of $58 million dollars passed by a margin 66% to 34%; the $24.8 million dollar referendum failed by a margin of 68% to 32%. The message was loud and clear, this community supports it schools, but rejects extravagant, unnecessary spending.

On Monday evening, I attended the BOE meeting to hear what their next steps were going to be and to offer support to put together a referendum that the community could, as a whole, live with. Imagine my surprise, when I watched as the BOE dug their heels on their position despite the resounding NO from the community. Matt Gilfillan said that they are not considering upgrading the Middle School auditorium, because that would be like putting “lipstick on a pig”. He said that his number 1 priority was the arts and that he would work with the arts community to live up to a promise he made to them. He said that all scenarios were discussed for a long time and the proposed referendum was the only plausible option.

>>Related story: Chatham Referendum Voted Down, Budget Approved

So let me get this straight. The people of Chatham went to the polls, voted and told the BOE that they needed to come up with a different plan, and their response is “our plan is the only plan”? How could this be? We can send people to the moon, rebuild the World Trade Center and build cars that run on electricity, but we can’t figure out a more modest plan to deal with our aging auditoriums?

How is it that Mr. Gilfillan’s “number 1 priority” takes precedence over the community’s priority? Who decided that the BOE had the power to make “promises” to one constituent over another? I am stunned to say the least. Two people, Libby Hilsenrath and Nabil Mouline went up to the mike to offer community support to come up with a plan. No one on the Board said a word, not even thank you.

The people of Chatham need to know that this is how they are being represented. They need to become involved and let the BOE know that if we are paying for it, we have a right to have a say in it. I urge all of you to write to the Superintendent and BOE and remind them that the people have spoken, and that the BOE’s response is unacceptable.

Gilfillan ended his commentary by saying our kids deserve better. I don’t think he’s in a position to judge what my kids deserve, but I will say this: our kids deserve to know what a democracy looks like, and this isn’t it.

Susan O’Brien

Chatham Township

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More on Patch:

• Chatham Borough Resident: ‘The Proposal Dreams Big’
• Chatham Resident: ‘Don’t Vote Based on Misinformation’
• Chatham Borough Resident: Bond Referendum Constrains Funding of Educational Priorities for Years to Come
• Chatham Resident: Misinformed Voters Make Bad Decisions
• Chatham Resident: Proposing Framework For Three-Question Format For Upcoming Referendum