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Fiscal Responsibility
REPUBLICANS VALUE FISCAL CONSERVANCY AND WILL ENSURE APPROPRIATE USE OF TAX FUNDS.
Wreckless Democratic Board of Education Spending
1) Purchase of a new maintenance truck without competitive bidding. Democrats authorized the purchase of a new maintenance truck without competitive bidding because it was available. Republicans voted against the purchase.
MOTION: To approve the use of the 1% account to purchase one of the two vehicles at Columbia Ford and waive the bidding process.
By: E. Marchand Seconded: M. Kortmann
Result: Motion passes along party lines 4-3 (DePaola, Rossignol, Williams against)
2) CGS and CHS Signs:
On June 1st, the republicans requested permission to restore the 2008 class gift; the Coventry High School sign, free of charge to the town. On June 8th the democrat fiscal subcommittee voted to utilize $25,500 to redo the signs of tax payers unexpended funds. In the follow on full board meeting Christina Williams and Courtney Rossignol pressed the issues of overriding the fiscal subcommittee and using the money for other necessary improvements: such as the weight room (which the state wrote up for unsatisfactory conditions over a decade ago).
REPUBLICANS WILL ENSURE BEST DEAL FOR THE TAXPAYER
The CHS sign is now replaced. It was poorly installed (at a height which blocks the school), is less than 1/4 inch thick, and not installed correctly. (One can stick their hand between it and the post. It is also not in school colors. What a disappointing misuse of tax payers funds. It should not have cost the taxpayers anything.
3. CGS PLAYGROUND
The CGS Playground was a staple to this community. Generations of children celebrated monkey bar crossings and races down slides. This year the curly slide
took some damage and required repair. The rest of the playground continued in good operating condition. The slide repair was quoted $500-$3000. Instead of replacing the slide, the democrat board of education purchased another used playground for $35,000. While this playground is less old - the additional expenditure of $32,000 was irresponsible.
When the discussions of not spending money on the signs came up on social media and why were we not using it on fixing the slide - Mary Kortmann chair of finance
wrote - we purchased the slide it is on back order.
In the very next meeting - when republicans (who were surprised by this post) asked about it - it was never purchased.
4) FACILITY REPAIRS: WEIGHT ROOM
The Coventry High School weight room is in disrepair - The weights are rusty, there are major air quality issues, and it has been formally written up by the state - for over 10 years!
Democrats have made no attempt in fixing, repairing or upgrading the weight room for over 5 years - it is their belief we must build an annex , a whole new facility to resolve the problem.
The weight room remains on the capital improvement plan - and we continue to send in Coventry students to work out in unsafe conditions.
Republicans have creative solutions. Was the $25,500 for signs and $35,000 for a new used playground the appropriate use of funds - or should we have attempted to resolve unsafe student conditions?
REPUBLICANS WILL PRIORITIZE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
AND ENSURE APPROPRIATE/EFFECTIVE USE OF FUNDS
5. RENOVATE AS NEW
As part of the school energy efficiency committee, Mary Kortmann authorized $170,000 of tax payer dollars to cost out tearing down and building a new middle school. She stated she was authorized by the BOE fiscal committee. Mary Kortmann is not a BOE representative on this committee, and was NOT authorized to speak on behalf of the Board of Education. Review of fiscal committee minutes - show no discussion ever occurred with the fiscal committee or board of education as of January 6, 2022. May 12, 2022 under "New Business" the build as new was brought forth to the whole board for the first time. Catching many members off guard - where it was mentioned it was on hold due to economic conditions.
The build as new proposal comes just after doing major renovations internal to both CNHMS and CHS spending millions in tax payers dollars. Was this a legal and appropriate expenditure of tax payer dollars: without community input, without BOE concurrence?
Republicans want updated facilities, security and mold free weight rooms. Republicans will find transparent, fiscally responsible solutions while working with the community and valuing your input.
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