In an effort to get the community involved in the school budget formation process and to explain the financial challenges that lie ahead in the upcoming year, Monticello Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Michel (pictured) will hold a series of five informational meetings at local firehouses throughout the district. These meetings will include a presentation on the district’s current financial status and a question-and-answer session with school officials.

According to present calculations, if the district moves forward with a rollover budget, taxpayers could face up to a nineteen-percent tax levy increase in May.

“We have to make some serious choices,” explained Michel. “I want the community to be a part of the decision making process on what programs they want to keep and what they are willing to pay for.”

As an added effort to get community input into next year’s budget, Dr. Michel will also be establishing a Citizens’ Advisory Budget Committee (CABC), will invite the public to the Board of Education budget work sessions, and is planning a web site survey.

So far the dates for the first two firehouse meetings have been set as follows:
Thursday, November 9, 7 p.m. at the Monticello Fire Department,
Tuesday, November 14, 7 p.m. at the Rock Hill Fire Department.
Wednesday, December 6, 7 p.m. at Smallwood Fire Department in White Lake.
Scheduled meeting dates are still being formulated for other local departments.

For more information about these meetings or to volunteer for the CABC, please call Dr. Michel at 794-7700.

Monticello Firehouse meeting the beginning of open discussions

Anticipation was high and the questions were flying as Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Michel held his first open public forum budget discussion at the Monticello Firehouse.

With more than 40 people in attendance, community members, teachers and other administrators expressed their concerns about the proposed budget shortfall.

Dr. Michel, who openly discussed where the district stands financially, explained to the attendees that their input was what it was going to take to create a feasible budget that addresses the growing needs of the district and the people who support it.  He encouraged community members to volunteer for the new Citizens Advisory Budget Committee (CABC) that is presently being formed.

The overall tone of the meeting was very supportive of how Dr. Michel has been following through on his open-door policy of running the district transparently, without secrets.

Rock Hill Firehouse chat brings out the masses

On November 14, nearly one hundred people showed up to discuss the upcoming budget shortfall with school administrators.

Though the overall tone was one of concern about the potential of raising taxes, community members were thankful that they had such a forum to express themselves.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Michel explained how the funding for some federal and state mandated programs was decreasing, while the needs and requirements for these programs were increasing.

He explained to the group about the upcoming Budget Survey that will on the district's web site by early January and that by filling it out, this would give them an even greater voice in what programs they were willing to fund or cut.

Two more area firehouse chats are being scheduled for next month.

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