RE: http://www.timesdaily.com/arti...91102/NEWS/911029992

Most people are to lazy to pick a penny up off the ground. This is for the future of not just Franklin Co. but our struggling country. We vote down alcohol sales, state lottery, and a one percent tax increase to save our kids future and their parents jobs! This is why Alabama is looked at as a joke by the rest of the country!

Failing economy...soaring unemployment...yep, sounds like a tax increase for people who are already struggling would be just what is needed for Russellville...

This tax will not help Franklin County Schools. It will go to Russellville City Schools. They can use it to buy another Jumbo tron. Or an addition to their fieldhouse.

Excuse your ignorance JerKLand. Jumbo came from donations and field house from state appropriated money. Get your brain in gear before running your mouth.

I hate when everything is "save our kids education" -- hello? With all the money we've put into education and our kids still fail the SATs and Graduation Exams? You think if you say "it's for the kids" it will pass and that isn't the way it should be...

Also, please tell me how this would "save their parents jobs?" Unless they are going to give the money to the business that employ people -- if a business goes under because of tax increases and people not spending money because they don't have money -- I don't see how that is going to help anyone.

I say, you should figure out how to make the money you have work FIRST...then prove you can be good stewards of my tax dollars and we can discuss an increase...if you can't manage what you have throwing more money at it won't fix the problem...

quote:

Originally posted by afbayboy:
RE: http://www.timesdaily.com/arti...91102/NEWS/911029992

Most people are to lazy to pick a penny up off the ground. This is for the future of not just Franklin Co. but our struggling country. We vote down alcohol sales, state lottery, and a one percent tax increase to save our kids future and their parents jobs! This is why Alabama is looked at as a joke by the rest of the country!

When government can show that they have eliminated most of the waste and lining politicians pockets then they can come to the people asking for more money if they still need it. My guess is that they would have plenty then. It does me no good to go to my boss if I overspend or make bad decisions and ask for a raise. Better management? Yes Raise taxes? Heck no.

The city council is continually throwing money at the school system like they have an endless supply. This city is on the brink of laying off employees that provide much needed services to the citizens of Russellville. What I would like to know is just why 40% of this proposed tax should go to the school? Are they more important than the people that fix your streets, take care of your parks, protect your property from fire or criminals? $280,000 Jumbo trons for the football field, million dollar football field houses, and million dollar baseball stadiums are all well and good when you can afford them. Personally I'd sleep better knowing that if I dialed 911 I could get the help i needed.

quote:

Originally posted by julio959:
$280,000 Jumbo trons for the football field, million dollar football field houses, and million dollar baseball stadiums are all well and good when you can afford them. Personally I'd sleep better knowing that if I dialed 911 I could get the help i needed.

For the 235,847th time -

The jumbotron is being paid for by private, booster club contributions. The school did NOT build the jumbotron.

All monies spent on buildings, including Rville's field house, baseball compelex, etc, etc, are from monies designated by the legislature as capital outlay. By Alabama law, these monies MUST be spent on capital projects. Even if Rville didn't have those buildings, not a penny of that money would have been spent on teacher salaries, supplies, etc.

Whether you're for the tax or not, these items have NOTHING to do with the current shortfall. Why is that so hard to understand?

beebobear1985-

Im curious, where does the monies designated by the legislature as capital outlay come from?

beebo -- why is there a shortfall? Why have all trucks not been grounded except for approved, minimal use? Why have insurance benefits and other "extras" that are not required not been decreased or eliminated to free up other funds? Why have the workers not been given other options like a 4 day work week or being off every other Friday or some other means of cutting hours without eliminating jobs? There are many ways to cut a budget without eliminating jobs and freeing up funds to prove fiscal responsibility before applying a new tax on the people.

Why is it so hard to understand that we are overtaxed as it is and people are struggling to make ends meet because every penny counts these days? It's so easy for government to say tax it -- just like swiping a credit card and not paying attention to how much you spend...

Whoa, wait a minute.

I'm not saying that there's not waste in both the city and school administrations. There are definitely things that could be changed that would free up extra money without having to incur additional taxes. I personally don't support a new tax. I think they ought to have to tighten their belts just like the rest of us.

And yes, the monies for capital outlay does come from tax money that we pay on a state level. And again, that money could probably be handled more efficiently. But due to the quirks of the legislature, monies for capital outlay have to be used for buildings. Contact your legislators and ask them to change that restriction.

What irritates me, is that as soon as Rville is mentioned, someone jumps in about the jumbotron and the new buildings. And it's an apples and oranges situation.

Whether Rville needs additional taxes or not is in no way connected to the fact that the school has a jumbotron and a nice sports complex. That's the only point I was trying to make. My apologies if it came across any other way.

Gotcha -- then I hope someone else reads that and tries to answer the questions...again, if they aren't responsible with what they have now they won't be responsible with any "extra" that we give them...I've learned money management a lot in the past year both professionally and personally and it can be done! it's not easy and it's not pretty and no one likes it and there are lots of complaints -- but it can be done!

Yes it is true that the capital projects have came from state grant moneys earmarked as such……However when you look at the increased costs of maintenance and such that comes from local funds that could be used to pay for local teaching slots.
Yes we have a very nice facility and are very proud of it, however drive by there at night and look at the way it’s lit up. When the jumbo-whatever is running there is costs for utilities to run it. There is cost to upkeep the new field house. Increased utility costs. This comes from local funds that could be used to support these local teaching slots. There is upkeep and Utility costs with running the video equipment to get the shots up to the jumbo-thing. It’s easier to ask the city to support them by giving more money.
At the council meeting Don Cox told the council they were not qualified to review their budget. I have no problem supporting our school. Mr. Cox also stated they were the largest users of utilities of the City of Russellville.
Students that live outside the City Limits attend the City Schools at no charge. Instead of instituting a charge for these students it’s much easier to ask, strike that demand additional support from the City.
Insurance Coverage is increasing annually, and it continues to do so at an alarming rate. How much of this increase did the school board pass on to its employees? And how much did the school system absorb. How many additional support personnel are required to upkeep the new central office, Baseball complex, Field house and other such buildings that must be cleaned on a regular basis? What about insurance costs to insure these buildings?
It’s easier to fill the city council chambers with educators to intimidate the council and ask repeatedly if they support education. Truth is a large portion of those teachers there in unincorporated areas of the county, Florence, Muscle Shoals, and even Madison County. How much property tax do they instill in the local economy? How much sales tax do they generate as they buy stuff in their respective cities and county’s where they reside?
It’s obvious as Mr. Trapp stated you can either increase Revenue or Decrease expenses. This stands true for the school system as well as the city.
Currently Family Coverage for City Employee’s is $499.00 a month, with the increase being past down to the employees for years. What is the Family coverage cost for school system employees? Bet it’s a lot less.
Did you know that during school hours you have 3 police officers on the small school campus as school resource officers…..The city has 3 officers patrolling the entire city. That’s why the city is getting carried off from thefts and other petty crimes.
You know the city is having to borrow money to make payroll….But will continue to do so until after the first of the year when property taxes began to roll in. But we still continue to borrow from the banks to give to the school system. 3 percent sales tax with 1.5 going to school system plus educational taxes tied into the car tags and the property taxes. But he still questions if they support education. Maybe they should give them the entire 3 percent tax we collect and appropriate what they do not want back to the City.

The declining property values within the community will allow us the opportunity to see the property taxes fall and the school system attempt to replace these funds through additional taxes.
The police department is 7 officers short…….Street Department is Short Employees….Not sure where the fire department stands.
In closing the School System budget is 17 million…..City of Russellville budgeted income is around 9 million if I recall correctly.
Why do we not have an elected school board to manage this large sum of money?

http://www.franklincountytimes.../slideshow/news1.txt

Where's our jumbotron and multimillion dollar fieldhouse?

There are 132 school systems in the state of Alabama and the Franklin County system ranks no. 132 in the amount of local funding it receives and in the amount of money in it's month's fund balance.

The fieldhouse I can understand, but the jumbotron is a stretch. Yes, it was provided by private funding, but that does not make it right. There were many other useful things that private funding could have been spent on -OR- the money could have been spent on a jumbotron at a more appropriate time.

Dont get me wrong, I would appreciate the jumbotron too, but, as the boosters, you have to show our youth what is important as well. What kind of message are you sending to your students if you are laying off teachers and buying a new jumbotron, no matter where the funding for the jumbotron came from.....

Kirk