Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to calm down.

1- it won't happen. The number will be reduced to something more reasonable (the last time the council raised the property taxes for the schools, every incumbent was ousted in the next election - the council members will remember this)

2 - instead of screaming at the council not to do this everyone should be screaming at them for some oversight into MCPS. Only govt department/agency not to have an Inspector General, and it takes up more than half of the county budget! Programs that don't work - cut them! Someone needs to take a pen and rearrange their budget, putting more teachers in classrooms with smaller class sizes

3 - our schools are in huge trouble (special ed, teacher shortages, sub shortages, crumbling facilities), and something big needs to be done. I'd like to see a huge shake up at central office, wipe out most of the existing staff, and start over with a complete reorganization (and fewer central office staff, more bodies in classrooms and smaller class sizes).

And if we don't do this, or something (anyone have any good ideas, and no, not charters which have no oversight and no accountability and use public dollars for private schools, sometimes private religious schools), the massive behavior problems teachers are facing this year will get worse, and our public education system will get worse

When did that happen with all the incumbents being voted out?

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to calm down.

1- it won't happen. The number will be reduced to something more reasonable (the last time the council raised the property taxes for the schools, every incumbent was ousted in the next election - the council members will remember this)

2 - instead of screaming at the council not to do this everyone should be screaming at them for some oversight into MCPS. Only govt department/agency not to have an Inspector General, and it takes up more than half of the county budget! Programs that don't work - cut them! Someone needs to take a pen and rearrange their budget, putting more teachers in classrooms with smaller class sizes

3 - our schools are in huge trouble (special ed, teacher shortages, sub shortages, crumbling facilities), and something big needs to be done. I'd like to see a huge shake up at central office, wipe out most of the existing staff, and start over with a complete reorganization (and fewer central office staff, more bodies in classrooms and smaller class sizes).

And if we don't do this, or something (anyone have any good ideas, and no, not charters which have no oversight and no accountability and use public dollars for private schools, sometimes private religious schools), the massive behavior problems teachers are facing this year will get worse, and our public education system will get worse

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the council members staked out positions on this yet?

If they are smart they avoid it entirely, since it doesnt need their vote.

In theory it would need full council approval unanimously but since it doesnt- why would they go on record for supporting a huge tax increase?

Sorry for asking but can you explain? Do they need to vote for it or not?

By law any increase in the property tax requires a unanimous vote by the council, to raise the charter limit.

The one exception is the state allows them to go around this to comply with maintenance of effort for schools funding. So, a bit of a gray area- but I dont think it needs their vote- and they are probably quite relieved about that.

Yea it’s pretty shady because tons of other things are increasing in the budget too but since the increase is just under the increase for MCPS alone, he is making the argument they only need a majority. So much for that charter amendment pushed through with promises of needing an anonymous vote

But the council still needs to vote on it, right? It's just that it's a majority vote. Elrich cannot do it on his say-so alone, so the council members cannot avoid the issue.

Yes this is true. I think personally they’ll have little trouble getting a majority. With needing unanimous there would be some hard decisions needing to be made to get everyone’s vote

Only govt department/agency not to have an Inspector General, and it takes up more than half of the county budget!

Anonymous wrote:Any way Joe citizen can file a complaint/petition against this? He's going through a big loophole, circumventing the will of the voters' 2020 Election Question A, and disingenuous about it as there are bunch of other things increasing as well. There was no thought given to reallocating other funds to schools and public safety and keeping overall budget the same. The public hearings feel like they are checking off a box, they are so condescending.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to calm down.

1- it won't happen. The number will be reduced to something more reasonable (the last time the council raised the property taxes for the schools, every incumbent was ousted in the next election - the council members will remember this)

2 - instead of screaming at the council not to do this everyone should be screaming at them for some oversight into MCPS. Only govt department/agency not to have an Inspector General, and it takes up more than half of the county budget! Programs that don't work - cut them! Someone needs to take a pen and rearrange their budget, putting more teachers in classrooms with smaller class sizes

3 - our schools are in huge trouble (special ed, teacher shortages, sub shortages, crumbling facilities), and something big needs to be done. I'd like to see a huge shake up at central office, wipe out most of the existing staff, and start over with a complete reorganization (and fewer central office staff, more bodies in classrooms and smaller class sizes).

And if we don't do this, or something (anyone have any good ideas, and no, not charters which have no oversight and no accountability and use public dollars for private schools, sometimes private religious schools), the massive behavior problems teachers are facing this year will get worse, and our public education system will get worse

Throwing more money at MCPS will not help. Having a huge leadership change, getting rid of the excess employees in central office, stop the wasteful spending, especially like funding non-profits, etc would help. They need accountability.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone needs to calm down.

1- it won't happen. The number will be reduced to something more reasonable (the last time the council raised the property taxes for the schools, every incumbent was ousted in the next election - the council members will remember this)

2 - instead of screaming at the council not to do this everyone should be screaming at them for some oversight into MCPS. Only govt department/agency not to have an Inspector General, and it takes up more than half of the county budget! Programs that don't work - cut them! Someone needs to take a pen and rearrange their budget, putting more teachers in classrooms with smaller class sizes

3 - our schools are in huge trouble (special ed, teacher shortages, sub shortages, crumbling facilities), and something big needs to be done. I'd like to see a huge shake up at central office, wipe out most of the existing staff, and start over with a complete reorganization (and fewer central office staff, more bodies in classrooms and smaller class sizes).

And if we don't do this, or something (anyone have any good ideas, and no, not charters which have no oversight and no accountability and use public dollars for private schools, sometimes private religious schools), the massive behavior problems teachers are facing this year will get worse, and our public education system will get worse

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the council members staked out positions on this yet?

If they are smart they avoid it entirely, since it doesnt need their vote.

In theory it would need full council approval unanimously but since it doesnt- why would they go on record for supporting a huge tax increase?

Sorry for asking but can you explain? Do they need to vote for it or not?

By law any increase in the property tax requires a unanimous vote by the council, to raise the charter limit.

The one exception is the state allows them to go around this to comply with maintenance of effort for schools funding. So, a bit of a gray area- but I dont think it needs their vote- and they are probably quite relieved about that.

Yea it’s pretty shady because tons of other things are increasing in the budget too but since the increase is just under the increase for MCPS alone, he is making the argument they only need a majority. So much for that charter amendment pushed through with promises of needing an anonymous vote

But the council still needs to vote on it, right? It's just that it's a majority vote. Elrich cannot do it on his say-so alone, so the council members cannot avoid the issue.

Yes this is true. I think personally they’ll have little trouble getting a majority. With needing unanimous there would be some hard decisions needing to be made to get everyone’s vote

There is also more political cover to just "approving Elrich's budget"
than all of them unanimously passing another big property tax increase like they did a decade ago, or so.

The fact that they won't trim the wasteful spending in MCPS and jump to this means they're way out of touch with their constituents.

They get the average citizen with "dont you care about schools!" and the apple ballot.

If the average citizen knew about the growth in admin and central office, they would lose their mind.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the council members staked out positions on this yet?

If they are smart they avoid it entirely, since it doesnt need their vote.

In theory it would need full council approval unanimously but since it doesnt- why would they go on record for supporting a huge tax increase?

Sorry for asking but can you explain? Do they need to vote for it or not?

By law any increase in the property tax requires a unanimous vote by the council, to raise the charter limit.

The one exception is the state allows them to go around this to comply with maintenance of effort for schools funding. So, a bit of a gray area- but I dont think it needs their vote- and they are probably quite relieved about that.

Yea it’s pretty shady because tons of other things are increasing in the budget too but since the increase is just under the increase for MCPS alone, he is making the argument they only need a majority. So much for that charter amendment pushed through with promises of needing an anonymous vote

But the council still needs to vote on it, right? It's just that it's a majority vote. Elrich cannot do it on his say-so alone, so the council members cannot avoid the issue.

Yes this is true. I think personally they’ll have little trouble getting a majority. With needing unanimous there would be some hard decisions needing to be made to get everyone’s vote

There is also more political cover to just "approving Elrich's budget"
than all of them unanimously passing another big property tax increase like they did a decade ago, or so.

The fact that they won't trim the wasteful spending in MCPS and jump to this means they're way out of touch with their constituents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the council members staked out positions on this yet?

If they are smart they avoid it entirely, since it doesnt need their vote.

In theory it would need full council approval unanimously but since it doesnt- why would they go on record for supporting a huge tax increase?

Sorry for asking but can you explain? Do they need to vote for it or not?

By law any increase in the property tax requires a unanimous vote by the council, to raise the charter limit.

The one exception is the state allows them to go around this to comply with maintenance of effort for schools funding. So, a bit of a gray area- but I dont think it needs their vote- and they are probably quite relieved about that.

Yea it’s pretty shady because tons of other things are increasing in the budget too but since the increase is just under the increase for MCPS alone, he is making the argument they only need a majority. So much for that charter amendment pushed through with promises of needing an anonymous vote

They get the average citizen with "dont you care about schools!" and the apple ballot.

If the average citizen knew about the growth in admin and central office, they would lose their mind.

But the council still needs to vote on it, right? It's just that it's a majority vote. Elrich cannot do it on his say-so alone, so the council members cannot avoid the issue.

Yes this is true. I think personally they’ll have little trouble getting a majority. With needing unanimous there would be some hard decisions needing to be made to get everyone’s vote

There is also more political cover to just "approving Elrich's budget"
than all of them unanimously passing another big property tax increase like they did a decade ago, or so.

The fact that they won't trim the wasteful spending in MCPS and jump to this means they're way out of touch with their constituents.

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ModeratelyMoco wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the council members staked out positions on this yet?

If they are smart they avoid it entirely, since it doesnt need their vote.

In theory it would need full council approval unanimously but since it doesnt- why would they go on record for supporting a huge tax increase?

Sorry for asking but can you explain? Do they need to vote for it or not?

By law any increase in the property tax requires a unanimous vote by the council, to raise the charter limit.

The one exception is the state allows them to go around this to comply with maintenance of effort for schools funding. So, a bit of a gray area- but I dont think it needs their vote- and they are probably quite relieved about that.

Yea it’s pretty shady because tons of other things are increasing in the budget too but since the increase is just under the increase for MCPS alone, he is making the argument they only need a majority. So much for that charter amendment pushed through with promises of needing an anonymous vote

But the council still needs to vote on it, right? It's just that it's a majority vote. Elrich cannot do it on his say-so alone, so the council members cannot avoid the issue.

Yes this is true. I think personally they’ll have little trouble getting a majority. With needing unanimous there would be some hard decisions needing to be made to get everyone’s vote