By Jane DeGeorge
Eagle Reporter
Published: April 17, 2008

Community representatives blasted both proposed budget cuts and possible tax increases at the supervisors meeting April 7.

The board was met with criticism regarding the proposed 2008-2009 budget, including a proposal to “flat line” funding for Madison County Public Schools.

Due to decreases in state and federal money and rising costs, keeping local school funding the same as it was last year may force the county school system to cut back programs, according to school representatives.

“The level funding that you’ve proposed to the school board, really is not level funding,” said Mark Lebendig, president of Madison County Education Association and a teacher at Madison County High School. Lebendig told the supervisors the school system faces increasing costs of fuel and other products, a $30,000 decrease in federal funding and $120,000 less state money due to a change in the local “composite index.”

The state uses a “composite index” to determine how much money it provides to localities for certain state mandated programs and positions, the superintendent has said. The “composite index” refers to the “local ability to pay” and is based on several factors including, average daily student membership among the county schools, average local income, retail sales and population, according to officials.

Madison County’s “composite index” increased from 0.4362 to 0.4883, which means that the state has determined the local government is “able” to pay more money toward public schools costs for the coming fiscal year.

“So although it’s level funding as far as what the board of supervisors and the county will be paying for us next year, it’s actually going to be close to $200,000 less than what we’ve operated on this year,” Lebendig told the supervisors.

The school board had previously requested a 13.7 percent increase in local funds to support its 2008-2009 budget. The majority of the requested overall budget increases were for a proposed average salary increase of five percent for all employees, which had been revised from an earlier request of seven percent.

Although the MCHS teacher said that he understands that “the school board has asked for a pretty significant increase in funding,” he said that some of the increases “go well beyond just salaries for teachers and what might be seen as unnecessary costs.”

“We would very much support level funding…but we need it to be ‘genuine’ level funding. The way things are right now, cutting that much money out of [the] budget for next year is going to be very difficult. It will affect programs. It will affect staff morale. It will affect overhead,” Lebendig said.

Etlan resident and Madison County schools parent Robert Legge urged the board to prove to the community that the county school system would not be “irreparably harmed” by keeping local funds for the coming fiscal year’s budget the same as last year.

Madison County resident and former supervisor James Hale suggested officials go beyond just “flat lining” the school board’s budget and keep local funding for all county departments the same as last year.

“I would like to see you straight line everything…cause you don’t have the money unless you get it from me,” Hale told the board.
Hale requested that the supervisors remove any proposed new county positions and to keep the budget “as lean as you can.”

“The people in my age and in my financial situation, they can’t pay their taxes if you up the rate anymore. They just can’t do it,” the Pratts resident said. At the meeting, Hale told the board that he represents the 26 percent of Madison County’s population that is at or below the poverty line.

The county’s proposed workshop draft budget included the creation of a new deputy zoning administrator position, which would be compensated $33,970 per year.

The supervisors voted to set a public hearing regarding the budget for 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 5 at the County Administration Center auditorium at 414 N. Main St. in downtown Madison.

Once the board approves a draft budget, officials are expected to advertise a summary of it in upcoming editions of The Eagle prior to this meeting.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Public hearing about proposed 2008-2009 fiscal year budget.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 5.
WHERE: County Administration Center auditorium at 414 N. Main St. in downtown Madison.
For information: Call (540) 948-6700.