| Author |
Message |
    
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3275
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2003 - 3:33 pm: |     |
CBAC Kickoff Meeting
The Maplewood Civic Association (MCA) will be hosting the formal Kick-off meeting for the 2003/2004 Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC), Wednesday, November 12th, 7:30 PM, at the Maplewood Town Hall.
The goal of the meeting will be to invite Maplewood citizens to serve on the CBAC and to disseminate information. Topics will be:
• Review a high-level organization chart of the various organizations
• Discuss the role and the function of the MCA
• Discuss the role and the function of the CBAC
• Discuss the role and the function of the Township members and Committee
• Discuss the role and the function of the Board of Education
• Review the deliverables and the time line
• Review of the functions of each of the CBAC Sub-committees
• Review time expectations and skill sets required
• Questions and answer period
• Define the next steps
Following the agenda, applications will be accepted for the various CBAC Sub-committees.
Should you have any questions, please post them here.
Please pass the word to your non-MOL friends.
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Ed May
Citizen
Username: Edmay
Post Number: 1847
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2003 - 11:53 pm: | |
George
Looks like I will have time to serve on your CBAC. Unfortunately the first meeting conflicts with my adjuncting at NJIT. Earliest I can arrive is 9:30 ish.
Ed May |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3325
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 9:53 pm: | |
The meeting was held and the turn out was good.
I will continue to hold the registration roles open for a while, so if you are interested please contact me and I will answer all your questions and get you signed up and working for MAPLEWOOD!
Thanx,
George Berkeley
Maplewood CBAC Chairperson 2003-2004
jgberkeley@aol.com |
fringe
Citizen
Username: Fringe
Post Number: 217
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2003 - 8:05 am: | |
Maplewood residents interested in joining the CBAC Schools subcommittee are encouraged to attend the BOE meeting Monday, Nov 17, at which a 3 year budget forecast will be presented. |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2156
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2003 - 8:33 pm: | |
George:
If you could post a listing of the subcommittees with a brief description of what each covers, an indication of the special skills some of the subcommittee chairs asked for at the meeting and a general idea of the time commitment involved, you might get more volunteers. |
AZ
Citizen
Username: Azaltsman
Post Number: 218
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 3, 2003 - 12:14 am: | |
Is there any word on where this project is? |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3361
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 3, 2003 - 8:43 am: | |
Yes, it is in Maplewood New Jersey.
In term of current status, I spoke with the Township Administrator as late as yesterday. Holiday delays, delayed the creation of the Departmental Budget drafts. If all goes well they will be available to me today.
All the Sub-Committee Chairpersons have received lists of members assigned to their groups and I have about 10 people who have not been assigned at this time.
Sub-Committee Chairs have been asked to start meeting with their teams to discuss approach, process and to educate new members.
The Town Committee members have been helping to find a date when they can meet with the entire group, however, the work is in the Sub-Committees and should not wait for a group meeting.
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mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 394
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 10:44 am: | |
can you tell me how I can be on the CBAC.
I need to understand the school budget hierarchy, timeline and most of all, what comprises the 9% or approx $6m increase in spend by line.
I question the effectiveness of the CBAC. |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3474
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 12:28 pm: | |
You can join. The call goes out in Sept or October each year.
This year we are almost finished as the township draft budgets will be submitted in a couple of weeks.
If you want to understand the school budget heirarchy, contact the Board of Education. They hold budget 101 classes in November'ish each year and present sessions to the various PTA's.
The current school budget cycle is all but over for this year.
"what comprises the 9% or approx $6m increase in spend by line."
It is not clear to me what you are asking here. Can you add a few more words?
As to the CBAC, you can also join the Maplewood Civic Assoc. as the CBAC is just one of the many things they run for this town.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 396
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 8:52 pm: | |
Thanks jgb.
I don't agree though that the budget process is almost finished. It sounds like we have 6 weeks or less to look at the budget - or 12% of the available time. But in a relatively fixed cost base systemt like the schools, 50% of the effort is prep (or less) - and 50% is review, revision, challenge. So we have not yet seen meaningful data and yet we have a few scant weeks to react. Not good enough Dr H - 2/10 for effort
here are my questions
budget is $75m
budget is up 9%
costs are therefore up about $8m over 2003
benefits (per the ppt) are $10m = $1m of the increase
salaries are 75% of $69m = c$50m; pay rise was 4% = $2m (but I thought we had the big pay rise last year so we were done for a while
that leaves $5m not explained
insights anyone ? |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 400
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 5:52 pm: | |
And the answer is - salary increases ranging from 5-61% raises.
I thought the big increase went in last year. I did not get a pay rise, but the teachers got what appear to be massive pay rises -
eg 61.26% increase for salaries of supervisors of instruction - on a decrease in headcount from 1.3 FTE to 0.5 FTE if the comparative document (where is 2001-2, 2002-3 on this, and where is the pure line item summary by majopr line - eg salaries in toto, utilities in toto)
This is only a partially useful docment because a fair amount of data mining is required to get to what happened - which is looking like 10% average salary increase - this after a large increase went through last year.
Headlines
Total enrollment: flat
Total headcount: declined by 6.4 FTE
Total increase in costs: $6.6m
So that's an average of about $1m increase in costs for each FTE reduced.
No where near good enough Dr H. 1/10 for not taking it seriously.
I cannot make the meeting tonight (working to pay for the tax increase) but if any readers are going can you perhaps ask the above questions - preferably in a brutal way as if it were your money...which it is.
Thanks.
Can anyone tell me if the Thurs meeting is public ? |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 1304
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 6:56 pm: | |
Yes, the budget workshop session on thurs is public.
7:00 pm |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 404
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 7:12 pm: | |
thanks |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 320
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 8:12 pm: | |
Mellie:
Your headlines above are powerful, and make a mighty point.
The contract called for a 15% salary raise over three years. Note that a good portion of this amount went to lower paid teachers, and appears to be underfunded, which is why the total is higher than 15%.
Hopefully, you can make your points in person to Maplewood's BOSE reps, Huemor(less), the alternative, Profeta, Pettis, and Grodman (he may compromise for a 7% increase).
and I hope you are , in your words, brutal in expressing your views.
Remember, in public session you may not be able to comment, but you surely can to the Township Committee, (specifically the Board of School Estimate members). |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 406
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 8:37 pm: | |
Thanks again - will make my views felt in most effective forum. perhaps a private letter to the BSE, if we cannot comment in public session why go if you can't voice your opinion. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 1306
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 11:35 pm: | |
You can comment (for 3 minutes) in the public speaks portion of regular Board meetings (Monday night meetings) but not in workshop sessions (Thursday's meeting). |
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