Tough times and tough choices ahead

November 2008

Although Governor Paterson did not get to present his plan to the state legislature on November 18 and so far, we have managed to escape the $1.1 million cut in aid to our schools, we are a long way from being out of financial danger.

It is now proposed that when the Governor presents his new budget to the legislature in December, the aid we get from the state will be significantly decreased for next year. Early projections show we could lose more than $3 million.

It has been suggested that to get through the economic downturn, we use our reserve fund. This fund is comprised of money that has been set aside through the years for extreme emergencies. Even if we depleted this fund, we would still not have enough money to cover our loss and we would end up without any financial safety net. This would put us in a very risky position.

Monticello has already taken several steps to reduce costs this year, including reorganizing its transportation system, freezing the budget to decrease spending and renegotiating some contracts with outside vendors. But we must prepare and proceed carefully as we figure out new, creative ways of getting through these terrible financial times without putting this burden on the backs of our taxpaying citizens.

We must realize that dramatic cuts in aid to our schools will negatively impact the quality of our entire educational system for years to come. We have always been careful and conservative with taxpayer money, which means there are very few areas where it will be easy to cut costs. That is why we need all of our community members to share their ideas and suggestions and utilize their expertise to help us figure out the best way to get through these tough times.

For more information about the state budget process visit http://www.budget.state.ny.us/.