[Durham INC] County Manager's Proposed Budget Actions

[RW Pickle]

It's not about the teachers, lack of or quality of, or their professional
status. It's about the huge growtn of SW Durham and how that has impacted
our schools with so many kids. The school Melissas' kids will go to was
overcrowded when it opened... Over this way, the landscape changes yearly
with new development. Ten years ago Cook Road looked like any rural
backroad in the County. Today there are developments on eiter side of it
for almost it's entire length. And the vacant land... new housing
developments already in the planning stage for it. I think it's hard for
others to understand all this growth that keeps getting mentioned. But if
you live on this side of town, it's easy to see. This is about the only
part of Durham that is growing. If it's hard to visualize, just think
South Point Mall area and back toward town. Just a drive down MLK will
give you some idea. Turn left or right off it and you begin to see what
has happened to the Cook Road's of this side of town. They're all becoming
neighborhoods. And with them, more kids that need schools.

I also feel like the charter/private schools add to the problem because
they take away funding from our public school system and make it hard to
plan for how many kids any school might have in a given year. But that's
another issue.

RWP
27 Beverly

> Melissa,
>
> This is a time when everybody has to trim their expenses.
> Schools should be no exception.  We all know that there
> is fat to be cut.  There are many school systems that spend
> far less per pupil and show better results.
>
> The right approach for our schools is to get rid of
> tenure and ineffectuve teachers, increase teacher salaries
> to attract the best teachers and treat teachers like
> professionals.
>
> --Joshua
>
>
>
> On Jan 5, 2009, at 7:13 PM, Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Our schools cannot afford any more cuts. In fact, they need
>> significantly more money to accommodate the supposed increase in
>> people moving here (one of the arguments for all the new development
>> we're seeing in the suburban and rural areas). Many of our schools
>> are still overcrowded, particularly those in the rural and suburban
>> areas, and their trailers are now considered permanent fixtures.
>>
>> Don't mean to be barking up the same tree, but our local gov't needs
>> to kick and scream and demand the ability to vote on NEW DEVELOPMENT
>> impact fees specifically for public school funding. We citizens have
>> been begging our state reps and senators for this ability for years,
>> to no avail. Meanwhile Orange County is still benefiting from these
>> fees which Durham County is prohibited from imposing. In the
>> meantime a referendum to impose land transfer impact fees toward
>> this end should be included on any ballot from here on out... even
>> if it is unfair to our long-term and senior residents, it's the only
>> thing we've got...there must be some way we can offset this unfair
>> effect somehow. Colin, didn't you have some ideas in this regard?
>>
>> I love the Museum of Life and Science, and all the improvements
>> they've made. I am in full support of the new outdoor section and
>> the Dinosaur trail, which are supposedly already funded via bonds.
>> But I do not think this museum needs any additional improvements at
>> this time, particularly a new and larger gift shop...and many Durham
>> citizens did not vote for the prepared food tax because they didn't
>> want the money used toward this end.
>>
>> Just my ten cents...
>> Melissa
>>
>>
>> --- On Mon, 1/5/09, RW Pickle <randy at 27beverly.com> wrote:
>> From: RW Pickle <randy at 27beverly.com>
>> Subject: [Durham INC] County Manager's Proposed Budget Actions
>> To: fhna-list at fhnanews.com
>> Cc: inc-list at durhaminc.org
>> Date: Monday, January 5, 2009, 6:27 PM
>>
>> Press release from Durham County.
>>
>> Today, the Durham County Board of Commissioners met for their first
>> Worksession meeting of the New Year.  County Manager Mike Ruffin
>> presented
>> a plan of recommended actions to accommodate the declines in the
>> economy
>> and its impact on County operations. The report used a decline in key
>> revenues as the basis for an overall FY 2009-09 Revenue Shortfall of
>> $14.25 million dollars. To make up that difference, the County Manager
>> recommends substantive cuts to county departments’ budgets to captu
>> re
>> $8,951,100 and proposes 3% cuts to other county funded agencies
>> including
>> Durham Public Schools, Durham Technical Community College, Museum of
>> Life
>> and Science, various non profits and more to
>>  make up the remaining
>> $5,291.587.
>>
>> Dawn D. Dudley
>>
>> Public Information Specialist
>>
>> Durham County Manager's Office
>>
>> 919-560-0008  desk
>>
>> 919-475-4411  cell
>>
>> ddudley at co.durham.nc.us
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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