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March 4, 1997 <br /> Mr. Sidney Golub, Chairman <br /> Mashpee Finance Committee <br /> 16 Great Neck Road <br /> Mashpee, Ma 02649 <br /> Dear Sid, <br /> The finance Committee is the financial watchdog of our <br /> community . As such, your recommendations are taken very seriously <br /> by voters at Town Meeting. It is in the best interest of the <br /> taxpayer in Mashpee that the School Department budget be looked <br /> at very closely. The 10 .9 million request for FY98 will pale <br /> in comparison with future year requests . <br /> An article appearing in the Feb. 21 , 1997 Mashpee Enterprise <br /> "School Board Members Question Superintendent DeMoura About <br /> Budget Deficit" , raised some serious questions in my mind, <br /> questions which need answers : <br /> 1 ) $4000 . 00 transfer from Textbooks <br /> -How much money was budgeted for textbooks? <br /> -What was it spent on? <br /> -How much is left? <br /> -Why wasn ' t enough money budgeted? (Because they never intended <br /> to buy the books in the first place? They just padded the <br /> budget? ) . <br /> -How much money is regwred to buy all of the textbooks needed? <br /> 2) Dr. DeMoura reduced the deficit byf30 , 000 . 00 . <br /> -Where did he get �30K? <br /> - From utilities? <br /> -While predicting utility expenses is not an exact science, <br /> $30K reserve is excessive . <br /> -Does the School Committee survey CommElectric and oil <br /> companies for estimated cost based on past usage? <br /> -Do we get or are we eligible to get a reduced rate for bulk <br /> usage? <br /> -Is this $30K more padding? <br /> 3 ) Why budget for vacant positions if you' re not going to fill <br /> them? <br /> -How much effort was put into hiring a librarian for Quashnet <br /> Valley School? (Librarians earn 25K+ per year) . <br /> -How much money was budgeted for this position? How much is left? <br /> -More padding? <br /> Is the School Budget a "bare bones" budget? Apparently not . <br /> Town Meeting approves a "tight" school budget every year, yet <br /> come June, there is money left hanging around in various accounts <br /> which the School Committee does as it pleases with. To whom are <br /> they accountable? <br /> These are a few of my concerns . I hope they are shared by the FinCom. <br /> The taxpayers have a right to know what is going on., ,yII hope you will <br /> try to address these issues . J /�` � t� ,/ 0N"'� <br />