tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39453225257898714152024-03-13T13:23:05.234-07:00Chesterfield Taxpayer AllianceEternal Vigilance......... is the price of Liberty...chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-67424009217685233012015-04-19T16:17:00.003-07:002015-04-19T16:22:36.768-07:00A message from The Taxpayer to the Press...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /><b>To:</b> John Ramsey <<a href="mailto:jramsey@timesdispatch.com">jramsey@timesdispatch.com</a>>, Jim McConnell <<a href="mailto:jmcconnell@localnewsllc.com">jmcconnell@localnewsllc.com</a>>, Village News <<a href="mailto:news@villagepublishing.com">news@villagepublishing.com</a>>, Chelsea Rarrick <<a href="mailto:crarrick@wtvr.com">crarrick@wtvr.com</a>>, <a href="mailto:rdepompa@nbc12.com">rdepompa@nbc12.com</a><b>Cc:</b> "Elswick, Steve" <<a href="mailto:ElswickS@chesterfield.gov">ElswickS@chesterfield.gov</a>>, Art Warren <<a href="mailto:warrena@chesterfield.gov">warrena@chesterfield.gov</a>>, Dorothy Jaeckle <<a href="mailto:JaeckleD@chesterfield.gov">JaeckleD@chesterfield.gov</a>>, Jim Holland <<a href="mailto:HollandJ@chesterfield.gov">HollandJ@chesterfield.gov</a>>, Dan Gecker <<a href="mailto:geckerd@chesterfield.gov">geckerd@chesterfield.gov</a>><br /><span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">Press,</span><span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 16px;"><br class="" /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span class=""><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="">Per your articles and stories r</span><span class="" style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">egarding Chesterfield County. </span></span><span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 16px;"><br class="" /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="" style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="" style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">What has happened to critical thinki</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;">ng in this county and in the Press? It looks like their attempts to shut you down is working.</span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><br class="" /></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><u class="" style="color: #141823;"><br /></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><u class="" style="color: #141823;">First, the tax rate LEVY is composed of the tax rate and the tax base.</u><span style="color: #141823;"> The county RAISED both! It is not my opinion, as the notice required by our State Constitution requires the public be notified when a municipality receives more than what the tax increase implied, as happened the year before. The 1 cent (last year) increase raised more than the $3.2 million it was supposed to, in fact it raised </span><b><span style="color: red;">$18 million</span></b><span style="color: #141823;"> (all per county data on its website). </span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><br class="" /></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: #141823;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: #141823;">T</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">herefore, the tax rate was automatically lowered to $0.94 and the BoS had to have a public meeting to </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: red;">RAISE it 2 cents</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">. Its not really the same rate. If you don't believe me, read the notice. So again, the county raised both the tax rate and the assessed values (not market) and raised YOUR taxes (the total tax LEVY). Its all right there on the LEGAL NOTICE.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><b class=""><i class=""><u class=""><br /></u></i></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><b class=""><i class=""><u class="">This is EXACTLY why the VA code requires this, to avoid these shenanigans!!! </u></i></b></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><br class="" /></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;">If you can’t figure that out, <b class=""><u class="">look at the chart (all county data)</u></b> and tell me why it <u class="">generates more tax revenue above the 2015 $0.98 plan soundly rejected last year.</u></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><u class=""><br /></u></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q1LYRQptZ411Bx2kIOL-T4S49UhFuTOVZj3kt5qwlW6clvbHWfNSHee3MlhRdsAxTFxAyiFwHAKfKmRY1O47GfJH22rPlORHvODYKewqfO9yNRKg07JP_BTEzVW8JRvefJ7sQZDJI8qj/s1600/bloated2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q1LYRQptZ411Bx2kIOL-T4S49UhFuTOVZj3kt5qwlW6clvbHWfNSHee3MlhRdsAxTFxAyiFwHAKfKmRY1O47GfJH22rPlORHvODYKewqfO9yNRKg07JP_BTEzVW8JRvefJ7sQZDJI8qj/s1600/bloated2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 16px;"><u class=""><br /></u></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Why don’t you all post the notice and its true language and this chart that proves the 2016 $0.96 budget and levy generates more money, every year for 5 years, than the 2015 $0.98 plan soundly REJECTED last year.</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br class="" /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The only way that can happen is to raise the RATE and the assessment. Ask the BoS members like Elswick, Warren, Jaeckle if they raised taxes. Mr. Holland and Mr. Gecker already know that answer. They raised spending too, a lot. And, they gave CCPS more money than what Newsome asked for and more than the memorandum of understanding they entered into last year. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><br class="" /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">All of that with SOLs flat to down, title one schools way up, non-accredited schools rising in number exponentially, and teacher fatigue at an all time high. In fact, the greatest cheerleaders of Newsome is Holland and Wyman. It’s interesting to note that the Dale district’s high schools are bot</span>h not fully accredited. Wow! But hey, the BoS is going to monitor the CCPS progress from here on out do to all the era money they gave. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Great!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Does the plan seem fair and balanced to you as Mr. Elswick stated? I am sure it does to CCPS and other bureaucrats. <u class="">Oh yes, and the 5 year plan concept is nothing new</u>. Its been their for years as projections out 4-5 years for well over a decade. Just go look at past budgets, again all on the county website. Mr. Gecker is stretching the truth o meter here as its an election year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That is why Jim Holland motioned so quickly before Mr. Carmody finished his introduction on this massive tax increase!<br class="" /><b class=""><i class=""><u class=""><br /></u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b class=""><i class=""><u class="">Well done Mr. Holland, well done indeed. Checkmate you sly dog!</u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With kindest regards, I am, <br class="" />The Taxpayer</span><br />
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-68113958497627896582015-04-14T10:26:00.000-07:002015-04-14T10:26:54.765-07:00Do you know that Chesterfield County is using corrupt, inaccurate numbers for its budget talks?<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Date:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">April 14, 2015 at 3:34:18 AM EDT</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Elswick, Steve" <<a href="mailto:elswicks@chesterfield.gov">elswicks@chesterfield.gov</a>>, <a href="mailto:WarrenA@chesterfield.gov">WarrenA@chesterfield.gov</a>, James
Holland <<a href="mailto:HollandJ@chesterfield.gov">HollandJ@chesterfield.gov</a>>,
Dan Gecker <<a href="mailto:geckerd@chesterfield.gov">geckerd@chesterfield.gov</a>>,
<a href="mailto:JaeckleD@chesterfield.gov">JaeckleD@chesterfield.gov</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Steve,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. The e-mails in response to my question to the
school division last week regarding the discrepancies between their "CCPS
adopted Budget for FY2015" and the "Appropriations Resolution"
passed by the Board of Supervisors last year are copied below this e-mail.
The relevant portion of their response has been inserted here for
convenience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong> "We used a
draft of the county resolution. The county then updated that draft to
reflect the correct number; we did not, however, update our
document. We are in the process of updating the document and it will be
posted tomorrow with copies being sent to the public libraries."</strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.
So, CCPS set no controls and performed no verification or proofreading to
be sure that they accessed the Appropriations Resolution passed by the Board of
Supervisors instead of a draft. We are two and a half months away from
the <u>end</u> of the fiscal
year that budget
governed, and "grandma" is the only one who noticed that not only is
the narrative copied from the draft appropriations resolution wrong, the
numbers for the appropriation totals and categories are wrong as well.
The "Transfer to and/or Assignment for School Capital Projects"
is <strong>$1.2M higher in the
CCPS adopted budget than the amount appropriated by the BoS</strong>,
for example.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3.
Take a look at page 107 of the CCPS Adopted Budget and the figures displayed
there for the broad categories of funds for FY 2015. They are yet another
set of numbers that do not match either the numbers on page 11 of the CCPS
Adopted Budget or the numbers in the Appropriations Resolution. I understand
that they left off a couple of the categories for FY 2015 on that page (food
service, grounds maintenance and transfer for school capital projects), but
most of the other appropriation categories do not match either. Perhaps
CCPS should be asked to footnote the differences or somehow explain to the
reader why those differences exist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4.
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;"><u> I cannot understand
how the BoS can proceed to vote on a real estate tax rate and a budget on
Wednesday, April 15th, to provide millions of extra dollars to the school
division when there are unanswered questions raised by the budget documents
that are corrupted by these inaccuracies, as well as questions about why this
year's five- year plan shows so much more money to be provided the school
division than the "approved" five-year plan included in last year's
budget.</u></span> The BoS has not clearly shown a "need" to
raise the taxes by increasing the 94-cent levy to 96 cents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;">5.
How do you know what the effect of using the wrong budget figures has
been on other school division accounting issues? If the numbers in the
printed, adopted FY 15 budget are not the numbers used to populate the accounts
that control the spending, why not? How does CCPS justify not ensuring
that they are using the legally appropriated amount of funds? I consider
this to be a serious failure, </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;">especially
in light of other problems plaguing CCPS, such as--</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
a. all the audit findings with respect to construction
management (some of the same findings appear in three audits since 2008 (actual
date of audit)), school transportation and payroll, among others; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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b. failure to use proper processes and perform adequate
analysis in the bus camera issue; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;">
c. a complete fiasco surrounding the outsourcing of the
custodial services, including the failure to use past performance in the
evaluation factors for selecting the successful contractor </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;">(contact me if you need more information); </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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d. the security risk associated with releasing improperly
drafted solicitations and improperly marked school floor plans for the two
solicitations for custodial services (pilot and current); <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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e. failure to establish any quality control reporting
procedures for use by the eight schools with outsourced custodial services; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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f. granting of special access to GCA Services prior to
soliciting offers; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
g. paying GCA Services for more than $8800 of work not done
on a fixed price contract (documentation available) and not deducting anything
when work was not done;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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h. questionable evaluation procedures that seem to result in
Moseley Architects and BCWH getting most of the A/E services contracts (per
August 2011 audit Moseley was awarded 40% and BCWH 32% of the dollars and
the two firms combined received 50% of the projects from FY 09 - date of audit
in August 2011). These same two firms have received four of five A/E
services contracts funded by the 2013 bond referendum. Earlier bond
referenda have resulted in these same two firms receiving most of the A/E
services contracts also.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> i. nepotism
which may have contributed to CCPS trying to charge me more than $1100 to get
information on the <strong>failure of the wastewater treatment
plant at Matoaca High School</strong> on August 1, 2013 that was not
repaired until February 2015 and has <strong>cost
approximately $750,000; (</strong>My challenges to charges resulted in
zero payments.)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> j<span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;"></span>.
the climate of fear that exists among the staff of CCPS with respect to
reporting improper actions of other staff members;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> k. the failure to
respond to allegations of falsification of personnel records of the secretary
fired at Ettrick Elementary discovered after her appeal had been denied, and
the failure to properly address many other problems with the principal at that
school which has been in the State Improvement Program and has had oversight by
the Virginia Department of Education;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> l. the failure to produce
justifications for the more than 170 vehicles that were being driven home daily
(commuting vehicles) and that were identified as a problem last year;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> m. the maintenance of two separate specialty
centers (International Baccalaureate) at Meadowbrook and Midlothian which are
inefficient in use of teacher resources and require payment of double the fees
of a single center; (The diversity statistics at these two centers should raise
serious questions about the reason for these separate, inefficient facilities)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> n. the use of differing yardsticks
at some of the high schools to hide the degree of overcrowding for several
years in the presence of vacant seats at nearby schools; (Look at the actual
numbers for Matoaca High and Thomas Dale High and ask why that inequity has
been allowed to exist; I have asked orally and in writing and have received no
answer.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> o. the millions of dollars lost as
reported in the audits because Construction Management will not set up a
procedure to avoid paying sales tax;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> p. the failure to heed the warning
of the MGT of America Efficiency Review of March 16, 2010 that with respect to
the supplemental retirement program, "<em>This
unfunded liability represents a significant challenge to the financial status
of CCPS and options for managing this significant long-term obligation should
be developed</em>"; (Referring to the "baby boomers"
reaching retirement age in the next few years, the report stated, "<em>The increased number of participants
will dramatically increase the cost of this program</em>."
Action to close the program to new employees as of July 1, 2013 will not
effectively address the identified problem.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> q. the general failure to
understand the importance of discipline in dating documents, identifying
contact persons for documents, project management, documenting spending
decisions, explaining assignment of scores in evaluation matrices, using
appropriate evaluation factors in selecting contractors for negotiated
contracts, and the use of basic business processes; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> r. the continuing use of false
statistics such as the 99.3% efficiency cited despite repeated, public notices
that no such statistic was cited in the MGT of America Efficiency Review--not
audit;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> s. <b><span style="color: red;">the full court press being used on
the media outlets in our area to stifle the reporting of the school division's
mishaps, failures and poor performance; (Just last week I received an
e-mail from yet another local media outlet sharing that Tim Bullis had asked
that if I gave that outlet anything that they were considering writing about,
the editor should let Mr. Bullis see what was provided first.) </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> t. the proliferation of programs
that have not been justified and the failure to establish adequate performance
measures to show that programs should have continued funding; (This was
a finding of a Curriculum Audit a few years ago and nothing much seems to have
changed.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> u. the unjustified use of expensive
outside speakers and professional development programs that teachers have
decried for years and the failure to recognize the experts within the ranks of
CCPS that could provide such opportunities for a much lower cost with greater acceptance;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> v. the continued rental of venues such
as the University of Richmond, even with the opening of the CTC @ Hull;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> w. the excessive compensation of
employees assigned to some positions as reported a few years ago and the
continued granting of raises to those in grades 39 and above based on
questionable justifications and despite the notable failures of many of those
in this group to perform at acceptable levels;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> x. the failure to provide any
procurement training to Construction Management personnel and others who,
together, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars with little to no
understanding of proper procurement and contract administration procedures;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> y. the failure to formally document
"lessons learned" from each major A/E and construction project and
use them in subsequent procurements; and<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> z. the apparent failure to establish
management indicators and reports that regularly allow comprehensive assessment
of the school division's performance and the failure to properly support many
of the recommendations and provide essential information to the Board; (One
example: The list of those seeking approval of their participation in the
SRP each year does not even contain the cost of the benefit for those people on
the list, so the School Board does not even know the impact of their approval
on the budget and the unfunded liability.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. There are more issues, but I have given you an idea
of the concerns. <span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">As a taxpayer, I
am outraged at the overwhelming evidence of the lack of competence of the
school division in almost every area--construction management, budgeting,
personnel, Community Relations--you name it and they have fouled it up.
You can be sure the rest of the community will be upset as well at
pouring more money into giving raises and other funding to the school division
with no consequences for such failures as those identified in this e-mail and
the references provided. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7. Once again, no one has explained why the five-year
plan shows increased revenues from last year to this year. Neither has
anyone combed through the budget for savings. CCPS claims in their budget
document to be using zero based budgeting. I am not sure they understand
what it is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8. While teachers constantly lament many of the
"professional development" activities, the proposed budget for FY
2016 shows <strong>one added
position to HR - Prof<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">essional Dev at <u><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;">$77,395</span></u></span></strong>
to bring the total up to 7 FTEs. I am sure the teachers could find a
better use for that mo<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">ney.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">9. Other items of interest in the FY 2016 proposed
budget for schools:<strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong>
a<strong>. Student
Services has added one FTE at $<u><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;">73,997</span></u></strong>
to bring their total to 62.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">
</strong> b<strong data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">. School Improvement has 8 FTEs
with an average salary of <u><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;">$75,676.</span></u></strong><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">
c. </span><strong data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;"> Communities in Schools shows an
addition of 7 FTEs at a cost of <u><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;">$371,642</span></u></strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;"> with a salaries and wages </span><strong data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">supplement
of $12,500</strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;"> which I
suspect is for a car allowance. Total budget for this item shows zero (0)
in FY 2015 and </span><strong data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">$518,561</strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;"> in FY 16.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> d<strong>.
Four FTEs in the Superintendent's office</strong> are costing us <strong><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;"><u>$877,230</u></span></strong>
($18,568 more than last year including a $5,000 increase for "Other
Salaries").<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong>
e<strong>. Accounts
950 and 951 for Community Relations show a total of</strong> <strong><u><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;">$1,639,717</span></u></strong>
for FY 16.<strong> </strong> <b><span style="color: red;">How
is that amount of money justified for people who are spending at least some of
their time contacting the media outlets in the area to try to shut down the
first amendment rights of certain citizens</span></b>--namely Rodney and me?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10. I do not have the time tonight to continue to list
reasons why it is unconscionable to tax all the real estate owners to give as
much money to this school division as the BoS is proposing to do. We
citizens are questioning how the BoS has shown the "need" for the
increased appropriations for the school division. No doubt they want the
money, but the "need" for it when they are operating without controls
as documented above is certainly debatable. At what point will there be
any accountability? CCPS simply <span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">did
not produce a budget that matches the appropriations provided by the BoS last
year.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">11. We are weary of the lies, obfuscations,
misrepresentations and lack of accountability for what our local government is
doing with our money. <span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">By the way,
we have not even gotten around to discussing the <span style="color: red;"><b>transfer of Deputy Circuit
Court clerks back and forth contrary to the provisions of the Chesterfield
County Charter</b></span> and the waste of money there, including the return to a manual
system that triggered all kinds of bad results that, for the most part, have
been unreported to the citizens.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">12. The bottom
line is that you need to delay the vote on the tax rate and the budget for two
weeks so we can find out what CCPS has really done with their money this year
and find out why the five-year plan is growing despite your
"agreement" which was not reduced to writing in a memorandum.
If you decide to raise taxes, at least do what you obligated yourself to
do last year on the record, and "give back the penny." Also, we
are calling upon you to be clear and unequivocal in making your motions.
The reduced tax levy is 94 cents. If you "give back the
penny," you are really increasing our taxes and you need to make that
clear in your conversations and your motions this year. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;">13.</span><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;"> It is a tough job, but you volunteered
for it. Thank you for your service, and remember that "</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Consumer
Survey Finds <strong>Average
Family Didn't Recover Wealth Lost From 2007-2010."</strong>
See </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-gap-between-rich-poor-americans-widened-during-recovery-140985362" href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-gap-between-rich-poor-americans-widened-during-recovery-140985362" target="_blank"><span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;">http://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-gap-between-rich-poor-americans-widened-during-recovery-140985362</span></a>8.
In addition, t<span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">he
top percentile of Americans also increased their wealth share since 2010,
corresponding to <strong>a
loss in wealth for the bottom 90 percent of Americans, according to the </strong></span><strong><a data-mce-href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/us-federal-reserve/" data-mce-style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: #015fb6; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/us-federal-reserve/" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #015fb6; text-decoration: none;">Fed</span></a></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;"> data</span></strong><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">. See </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/4/incomes-fell-most-families-past-three-years-while-" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/4/incomes-fell-most-families-past-three-years-while-" target="_blank"><span style="background: white;">http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/4/incomes-fell-most-families-past-three-years-while-</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">/.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Respectfully,</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">Brenda Stewart</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #3e3e3e;">804.XXX.XX09</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>From: </b>"Deborah
Salyer" <<a href="mailto:deborah_salyer@ccpsnet.net">deborah_salyer@ccpsnet.net</a>><br />
<b>To: </b>"Brenda Stewart" <<a href="mailto:bl-stewart@comcast.net">bl-stewart@comcast.net</a>><br />
<b>Sent: </b>Monday, April 13, 2015 3:44:15 PM<br />
<b>Subject: </b>Re: Follow up to your question<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brenda, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have some more information
for you regarding this matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We used a draft of the county
resolution. The county then updated that draft to reflect the correct
number; we did not, however, update our document. We are in the
process of updating the document and it will be posted tomorrow with copies
being sent to the public libraries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you for bringing this
matter to our attention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deborah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 5:00 PM, <<a data-mce-href="mailto:bl-stewart@comcast.net" href="mailto:bl-stewart@comcast.net" target="_blank">bl-stewart@comcast.net</a>>
wrote:<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanks, Deborah. Enjoy your weekend!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brenda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>From: </b>"Deborah
Salyer" <<a data-mce-href="mailto:deborah_salyer@ccpsnet.net" href="mailto:deborah_salyer@ccpsnet.net" target="_blank">deborah_salyer@ccpsnet.net</a>><br />
<b>To: </b>"Brenda Stewart" <<a data-mce-href="mailto:bl-stewart@comcast.net" href="mailto:bl-stewart@comcast.net" target="_blank">bl-stewart@comcast.net</a>><br />
<b>Sent: </b>Friday, April 10, 2015 4:56:08 PM<br />
<b>Subject: </b>Follow up to your question<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brenda, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I know that you talked to
Carol, but I wanted to respond to your question from late yesterday afternoon
regarding the FY 2015 Appropriations Resolution and the total appropriations
being different from what is on the county's website. To the best of my
knowledge, no changes or corrections have been done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deborah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">-- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deborah
H. Salyer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Deputy
Clerk to the School Board<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms',sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span data-mce-style="font-family: tahoma,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">804-748-1897</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-823129572750613142015-04-10T11:54:00.001-07:002015-04-10T11:54:44.106-07:00The Taxpayer is on the march this weekend...<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Now is the time for action. </b>The local county budget is in full swing.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Taxpayer is opposed to the Board of Supervisors raising her real estate taxes scheduled for a vote on Wednesday April 15, 2015.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She wants to send a clear message that their Five Year Tax Increase Plan is unacceptable.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Taxpayer supports all of the citizens' calls and emails coming to her aid.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The county and school system is not being transparent nor accountable to her.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take part in this issue and make a difference in the outcome!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Free your wallet!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Taxpayer</span></div>
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-58361260079452747892015-04-05T17:50:00.000-07:002015-04-05T17:51:12.154-07:00Chesterfield Taxpayer on a rampage... Pickpockets beware!!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Spring break!! (</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">School is still in session though if you are The Taxpayer...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Using the Chesterfield County FY2016 Proposed Budget, the total
value of real estate in Chesterfield County is projected to rise from $31.1B to
$36.8B from FY15 to FY19. This represents an 18 percent increase over the five
year period and is shown in BLUE. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">To maintain the total real estate tax revenue stream at FY2015
levels, one would need $298.7M per year (shown in GOLD). Since the total value of real
estate is projected to increase, state law requires the real estate rate to be
revenue neutral unless action by the Board of Supervisors is taken to raise or
lower the real estate tax rate. The following rates (shown in GRAY) would be in effect
with no Board action using the County’s projected increase in total real estate
value:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">FY16 $0.92 per $100 value of real estate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">FY17 $0.88 per $100 value of real estate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">FY18 $0.85 per $100 value of real estate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">FY19 $0.81 per $100 value of real estate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It is also important to note that the proposed $0.98 real estate
tax rate <b><u>proposed last year and rejected</u></b> is now within 99% to 100% of the
proposed FY16 real estate revenue budget projections at a tax rate of <b>just $0.96</b>. <b>???? </b> Clever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">The Taxpayer's Bottomline... </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Watch your purses on April 15th when the Board of Supervisors meets to raise your taxes once again. Purse snatchers and pickpockets walk the halls of Chesterfield County.</span></span></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-12193784248141012502015-04-01T06:08:00.000-07:002015-04-01T06:08:56.724-07:00Chesterfield County Public Schools Flunk Construction Audits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Collusive bidding, price fixing and bid rigging...."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is no April Fool's....</span></div>
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<br />chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-54441085091490544252015-03-24T09:07:00.000-07:002015-03-24T09:07:02.224-07:00Senator Steve Martin had a good trip?What is going on at VV? Why did they pull this story from their website?<br />
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Inquiring minds want to know...<br />
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<br />chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-33408302464922725482015-03-20T05:43:00.000-07:002015-03-20T05:47:45.336-07:00School Board Sweeping Chesterfield's Custodians under the Rug...<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Public Comment Transcript <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My name is Brenda Stewart from the Matoaca District.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This single sheet of paper labeled “cost analysis of outsourcing 28
schools” has several columns of numbers on it and apparently serves as the
basis for moving forward with the request for proposal to outsource $5 million
of custodial services at 28 schools. The
paper does not reveal how many custodial jobs will be eliminated; does not
report what cost factors are included in or are excluded from the current cost
shown. Apparently documents with
unexplained data from unknown sources pass for decision documents to support
multi-million dollar contracts in CCPS.
Outsourcing by all levels of government is not a new process but is a
practice that has been around for decades.
There is however a process but it has not been followed for this
project. To ignore the proper process is
to be irresponsible with public funds. I could find no evidence that the
multitude of questions that should have been asked before these decisions were
made were ever asked or properly answered.
My research (referenced a large notebook) and my experience in
contracting confirms the lack of discipline in the CCPS process. You will likely be making a very expensive
mistake to proceed without the proper examination of processes and adequate
documentation to support this decision.
Important questions to be asked and fully answered:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Where is the documented analysis that justifies
the initial outsourcing of 8 schools?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Did you examine the current operation for
efficiencies before deciding to outsource? Internal management reform is one of
the most efficient, cost effective solutions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Why are you moving forward now without a
decision paper documenting at least the results of the pilot thus far?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">It appears you did not consider the in-house
cost of administering this contract.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Transaction costs should not be ignored – they can be the tipping point from
cost saving to a loss. Monitoring these contracts is essential.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have you looked at the extent of change in wages
and benefits for the workers involved? Poverty is not cheap.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Do you know where the cost savings is coming
from…reduced wages and benefits or increased efficiencies? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">With no documentation there is no evidence
that you fully understand the economic and social impact of firing your current
custodians and contracting with a huge out of state company who will siphon
revenues from our local economy. Is it really necessary to transfer wealth from
this community to highly paid executives with multi-million dollar compensation
packages?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have you considered the risk of contracting?
Low-balling in this type of contract is a real, identified risk that can result
in a higher cost for lower services instead of savings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Stability in the workforce is often a problem with
contracts. When and how did you consider the social good, good will, and
loyalty to your veteran employees compared to the lack of properly documented,
anticipated savings?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Are you really
comfortable in firing your lowest paid employees in order to give raises to
other employees (some which I had mentioned previously are already being paid
at well-above the market)?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Where is the analysis of the impact of the
impact of this decision on the local economy?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Studies have found that unless there is real innovation that leads to
greater efficiency or higher quality, communities will see a net negative
effect on the wider social and economic levels.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">The public should have been informed on the expected impact of this
outsourcing decision on the workers, the community and businesses before you
decided to move forward.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">School leaders and the School Board should take a broad, thorough, and
careful look at all anticipated benefits against the cost and potential
problems identified in the literature.
From the documents I have seen, CCPS has not followed a process. Failure is unacceptable and there is much
that must be corrected before proceeding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am calling upon the School Board to require appropriate
accountability from the Superintendent in this matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prepared by: Andy Hawkins, Assistant Superintendent of
Business & Finance<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Date: March 17, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Response:<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the fall and winter of 2013 the
Financial Services team was assigned the task of exploring the concept of
outsourcing several areas throughout the district. They were mail services, warehouse
operations, and custodial services. As a
part of exploring the possibility of outsourcing of custodial services we
calculated CCPS’ current cost per square foot and we met with selected vendors
and conducted research with other school divisions throughout the State/nation and
searched for independent studies of this topic to determine its viability (see
attached). Once it was determined that custodial
outsourcing was viable, we met with the industry leader in Virginia, GCA
Services, and they visited several of our schools and submitted a estimate of
the cost for their services. The
Financial Services team compared these costs to our current cost of
operations. We also met with our
Facility Department management team to determine if we could restructure the
department enough to provide equal or better savings to the division. We soon realized in this evaluation, that
with the School Board’s legal responsibility to the Virginia Retirement System
(approximately 15% of each custodians wages must be sent to the VRS) and our
commitment to the health insurance program (a very rich plan in comparison to
the market place) that it was not possible to restructure the department to
achieve the savings that outsourcing to a private vendor could achieve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The results of this operation were
reported to the Superintendent and to the School Board. The decision was made to pilot the custodial
services to 8 schools for the FY15 school year, with continuous review of the
results achieved to determine if a 3 year phase-in program would be
appropriate. Under the leadership of the
Assistant Superintendent of Business & Finance, CCPS engaged the County
Procurement Office to work with our Facilities Department to develop a Request
for Proposal (RFP) and submit it to the marketplace. This was completed during the spring of 2014
and this RFP generated a response from 16 firms. An evaluation team was established consisting
of the Facilities Department Director, the Assistant Director of Custodial
Services, a Custodial Services Zone Supervisor, the Cosby High School Director
of Student Activities, and the Assistant Superintendent of Business &
Finance. This team independently
reviewed the responses received from the RFP and ranked the vendors. Of the 16 vendors that responded, the
evaluation team interviewed the top 4 firms and then selected its top choice
(GCA Services) for contract negotiation.
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After successful contract negotiation,
GCA Services began their contracted services on July 11, 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Initially, GCA Services struggled to
meet the deadlines of cleaning, stripping, and waxing approximately 1.0 million
square feet of flooring within the time frame allowed and in conjunction with
the ongoing activities at each school.
To assist with this transition, GCA Services brought in staff/equipment
from throughout Virginia, Kentucky, and South Carolina to meet their deadlines,
while also hiring permanent staff for these buildings. Coordination of these efforts were daily
challenges during this period of time, but as of the first day that teachers
reported to work, all of the floors had been properly stripped, cleaned and
waxed. All of the classrooms were back
in place and new permanent staff hired.
Through the fall of 2014 GCA Services experienced approximately a 30%
turnover rate of staff as the company was refining its staff to meet the needs
of CCPS. As a result, there were
occasional temporary issues with the quantity and quality of services
rendered. The Assistant Superintendent
of Business & Finance, the Facilities Department Director, the Custodial
Services Assistant Director, and the school Principals worked closely with GCA
services to immediately correct these concerns and put procedures in place to
prevent reoccurrence. As of this date
(3/17/15), it has been determined that the outsourcing of custodial services
has been an overall success for CCPS and now it is embarking on the second
phase of this project which will entail the outsourcing of approximately 28
schools for FY16 and the remainder in FY17.
The County Procurement Office, Facility Services Department, and the Financial
Services teams have once again prepared an RFP for all schools and has
submitted it to the marketplace. The
vendor proposals are due back to the County Procurement Department by the
beginning of April of 2015. These
proposals will be independently evaluated by an evaluation committee and top
performing vendors will be interviewed and a top firm will be selected. It is anticipated that this firm will be
selected by mid-May for contract initiation on July 1, 2015. Once these results are known, the School
Board will be notified of the results. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 11:59 AM, Carol Timpano
wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Andy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have attached a transcript of Mrs. Stewart's
comments and questions from the last school board meeting. I feel you already
have most of the answers to this already so can you provide these so that we
can try to close the loop with her? I appreciate your help with this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">_____________________________________________________________________________________________</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">There have been other
questions raise by Ms. Stewart and Rodney Martin during the budget community
meetings that I would like to address:</span><span style="color: #888888;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Q: <b>Have you looked at the extent of change in
wages and benefits for the workers involved?</b> Poverty is not cheap.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Q: <b>Do you know where the cost savings is coming
from…reduced wages and benefits or increased efficiencies?</b> With no
documentation there is no evidence that you fully understand the economic and
social impact of firing your current custodians and contracting with a huge out
of state company who will siphon revenues from our local economy. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Q:<b> Is it really
necessary to transfer wealth from this community to highly paid executives with
multi-million dollar compensation packages? </b> </span><span style="color: #222222;">Stability in the workforce is often a problem
with contracts. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Q: <b>When and how did you consider the social good, good will, and
loyalty to your veteran employees compared to the lack of properly documented,
anticipated savings?</b> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Q: <b>Are you really comfortable in firing your
lowest paid employees in order to give raises to other employees (some which I
had mentioned previously are already being paid at well-above the market)?</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Q: <b>Where
is the analysis of the impact of the impact of this decision on the local economy?</b>
Studies have found that unless there is real innovation that leads to greater
efficiency or higher quality, communities will see a net negative effect on the
wider social and economic levels. The public should have been informed on
the expected impact of this outsourcing decision on the workers, the community
and businesses before you decided to move forward.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CCPS Response</b>: The
top priorities of CCPS are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A. Safety and
security of the students and staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">B. Provide a
quality education to assist our students to be productive citizens in our
community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">C. Be good
custodians of taxpayer funds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">CCPS is joining most
private businesses and an ever increasing number of public institutions who
have recognized the savings that can be achieved through outsourcing of certain
areas. During my tenure we have studied the outsourcing/elimination of
the warehouse function, mail service, grounds maintenance, copier/printer
services and custodial services. In the future we will also study the
outsourcing of maintenance operations, transportation, fleet maintenance, and
food services. The advantages/disadvantages of each will be fully vetted
and outsourcing will occur if it is determined that we can get the same amount
and quality of service to our students as we currently receive at a lower
cost. CCPS does not exist to be a job placement center. It's
primary function is to provide a quality educational experience for all of our
students. To that goal, the School Board and CCPS administration are
looking at all areas to insure that the maximum amount of funds are placed
directly into the classroom.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Q: <b>In
the current Custodial Outsourcing Request for Proposal (RFP) the term
"should" (instead of "shall") is placed in most areas of
the RFP when discussing CCPS requirements of potential vendors.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>CCPS Response:</b> The
CCPS administration, the School Board Attorney, and the School Board Chair
reviewed this RFP in detail and had INCLUDED the word "shall" in all
sections of the RFP. When our complete draft was submitted to the County
Procurement Department, the word "shall" was replaced in most
instances with the word "should" since it was their opinion that by
having the word "shall" in the solicitation may suppress vendor interest/competition.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">The RFP is a
solicitation of bids. It IS NOT the final contract. Just because it
says "should" in the solicitation does not mean that CCPS will sign a
contract that doesn't enforce certain areas that we find nonnegotiable.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Q: </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;"><b>Have you considered the risk of contracting?</b>
Low-balling in this type of contract is a real, identified risk that can result
in a higher cost for lower services instead of savings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>CCPS Response:</b> We have
considered the risk of contracting and low balling. That's why it was important
to have conversations with current long-term clients of GCA Services both in
the Commonwealth of Virginia and nationally. We spoke with many of their
current school division clients and GCA was given very positive performance and
contracting reviews.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please let me know if
there are other questions or concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Andy</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-78499551691458283972015-01-25T05:51:00.000-08:002015-01-25T05:51:38.205-08:00Transparency and Accountability continues to be neglected by Chesterfield County School Board<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the past several months, there has been an unraveling of sorts in transparency and accountability regarding the Chesterfield County Public Schools and their management and oversight of school construction projects. It appears that the schools can estimate a building's cost high and take the difference and do what it wants without the oversight of the funding source (i.e., the Board of Supervisors).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gSk-6gVGduO5ybpmAWRFeV2BrD8K64Vx3AOXGroBcE0FK6m0rJg7istZzMOsDzGbR989S3j40hnX25l1oRTnCmBoZXVsIDfCve07IURpW6fqQ8CkxL7xyTUepb035wjFF11xvD9zArqV/s1600/school_board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gSk-6gVGduO5ybpmAWRFeV2BrD8K64Vx3AOXGroBcE0FK6m0rJg7istZzMOsDzGbR989S3j40hnX25l1oRTnCmBoZXVsIDfCve07IURpW6fqQ8CkxL7xyTUepb035wjFF11xvD9zArqV/s1600/school_board.jpg" height="175" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The CCPS Superintendent, Dr. Marcus Newsome, continues to make CEO wages without risk or accountability to the Taxpayer. Meanwhile, "no one is doing anything illegal and everyone is following the rules".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So there are several recent stories in the <a href="http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2015-01-14/News/Gecker_proposes_supervisors_oversee_school_constru.html">Chesterfield Observer</a> and the <a href="http://www.richmond.com/article_bb99cbd8-9f01-5797-b64c-ff88dab09e00.html">Richmond Times Dispatch</a> related to this iceberg of data and information that lurks just below the Chesterfield sea. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Board of Supervisors moved quickly to fix the problem real good in an election year with a <a href="http://chesterfieldva.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=1116&meta_id=113925">Gecker Proposal</a> which was adoption in a 5-0 vote. (CYA in full effect.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what is needed is context... some additional information that newspapers do not have the space to print... Here's a good example... where the antiquated public participation process that the school board uses decreases transparency and accountability.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>From:</b> Rodney Martin<br /><b>Date:</b> January 17, 2015 at 11:15:21 PM EST<br /><b>To:</b> Debra Girvin <<a href="mailto:debra_girvin@ccpsnet.net">debra_girvin@ccpsnet.net</a>>,
<a href="mailto:ce_coyner@ccpsnet.net">ce_coyner@ccpsnet.net</a>, Dianne Smith
<<a href="mailto:dh_smith@ccpsnet.net">dh_smith@ccpsnet.net</a>><br /><b>Cc:</b> Dan Gecker <<a href="mailto:geckerd@chesterfield.gov">geckerd@chesterfield.gov</a>>,
<a href="mailto:wallerr@chesterfield.gov">wallerr@chesterfield.gov</a>, Steve
Elswick <<a href="mailto:ElswickS@chesterfield.gov">ElswickS@chesterfield.gov</a>><br /><b>Subject:</b> <b>1/20/15 Providence Middle Community meeting and Upcoming
1/29/15 Manchester Middle Community meeting</b></span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mrs.
Girvin,<br /><o:p> </o:p>I am writing to you to ask about a situation
that is very perplexing to me. I am directing this question to you as my
Midlothian school board representative, and Mrs. Coyner as the incoming Chair
of the CCPS board and Mrs. Smith as the outgoing Chair of the CCPS board, to
determine the process used by the CCPS Board in setting the Providence Middle
Community meeting date, determining the invitees of the Providence Middle
Community meeting, and for advertising the Providence Middle Community meeting.
I would also be interested in hearing when the CCPS Board actually mailed
or emailed particular invitations.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I,
several other citizens, and an active group involved in national, state, and
local Chesterfield politics, have scoured the CCPS website, BoardDocs,
BoardDocs web pages, and even CCPS Facebook pages to locate the invitation to
the community for this important community meeting. I have also generally
googled and searched the internet as well for this topic and reviewed all of
the “calendars” in each of these pages and sources, including the homepage of
Provident Middle. Though it’s possible we could have missed it, I
consider the individuals and groups I mentioned above as technologically savvy
and highly engaged as it relates to the CCPS Board activities and actions.
Many of us, individually and as a group, have email contacts embedded in
CCPS event announcement distribution platforms so as to remain informed about
important events occurring in Chesterfield County government and schools.
If we have missed it, please direct us to the location where this open
invitation came to the citizens of Chesterfield County, and especially, the
Midlothian Magisterial District. If we did miss it, why did CCPS make it
so hard to find if the event is as important as CCPS indicated it to be? </span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
I did hear reference to a meeting at Providence Middle at the CCPS Board
meeting of January 13, 2015 (in the early 3PM session which requires me to
leave work early to attend) from your finance director indicating that a
community meeting was planned for January 20, 2015, that appears to be the only
public announcement forum. I and other citizens would have been grateful
to have more than three business days notice to plan calendars accordingly for
such an important event. Also, I was extremely surprised to find that
neither Midlothian Supervisor, Dan Gecker, nor Midlothian Planning
Commissioner, Reuben Waller, had any knowledge of this meeting. In fact,
at the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors meeting of January 14, 2015,
which I attended, Mr. Gecker sheepishly admitted to the public that neither he
or Mr. Waller were aware of this meeting, nor, more disturbingly, were they
made aware of the “community” meeting via invitation of any kind. This
reference can be found as part of the public record at the at 1:48:10 mark in
the recorded version of the Board of Supervisors meeting of January 14, 2015.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
would like to observe that it appears highly unusual that the elected officials
of the Midlothian District would be excluded from this event, though I
understand that CCPS may not have realized I may be interested in this topic.
As you know, I have been an active participant over the last year in
Chesterfield political process review, inclusive of the CCPS Board and
Administration actions regarding schools. If fact, many times vocal in
disagreement with policy and sometimes in agreement with policy. Beyond
what you may think of me personally, or my belief in limited government and
government transparency and accountability, I have a higher interest level in
this event and process than the average citizen might for several reasons.
First, I live in Midlothian and, though all taxes I pay go to support the
county at large, I clearly have vested interest in seeing how the allocated
funds impact my community and district. Second, I attended Providence
Middle, though back in the day, and like other alumni recently celebrated at a
recent CCPS Board meeting, I want to see this facelift successfully implemented
with a reasonable process and budgeted guideline, unlike that occurring with
CTC@Hull. And, third, I want to make sure that the timelines previously
represented to the people of Chesterfield for repairing and maintaining aging
schools follow the process outlined when CCPS Board promoted the $304 million
bond referendum, thereby maintaining the integrity of the promises sold to the
people.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover,
and most importantly, the funds raised via debt in the public markets were part
of a Comprehensive Plan that views revitalization of school surrounding
communities as one of its key tenets. I have yet to determine what this
plan will exactly yield in terms of new free market investments in and around
these schools. Nor do I know exactly how this plan will truly and
effectively resolve poverty in these areas, though I know each one of us as
concerned citizens, business owners, taxpayers, and elected officials would
like to cure or lessen poverty’s impact on those affected. Neither the
Board of Supervisors nor the CCPS Board has articulated how it sees these two
questions being answered either nor has either board set forth a measurement
stick or a process of how to measure this success on funds spent, if any,
though I am hopeful that each has some type of analytical support. <b><u>But,
what I do know is that when CCPS Board and Administration leave out citizenry
and the elected or appointed officials responsible for governing the impacted
area, you are dooming the process to complete and utter failure on all fronts.</u></b>
Mrs. Coyner has opined and waxed poetic at liaison meetings, with
citizens and press attending, that this is a crucial event for her and the
county to combat poverty. It is Mrs. Coyner’s number one priority as
advocated by her at many an occasion and at many a function. Moreover,
she indicated the table needed to be open to everyone to address and combat
this issue. How then could CCPS condone this obvious snub by not inviting
the people who will ultimately pay for these “government investments” in tax
dollars handed over to the county and then appropriated to schools? How
then could CCPS condone excluding our elected officials who, by Virginia Code
and Chesterfield Charter, have authority over the amounts and timing of funds
to be allocated and appropriated to schools, after receiving input from and
exercising the will of the people. And, Mrs. Girvin, how then can CCPS
condone this action and with a straight face tell the public and the Board of
Supervisors via letter, as recently as January 9, 2014, that the CCPS Board and
Administration are accountable and transparent? Of course, as you and
have discussed, they are neither transparent nor accountable.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
is continued actions like this that epitomizes the ongoing arrogance of the
CCPS Board and Administration. This action, coupled with the recent
letter from CCPS to the Board of Supervisors discussed above (attached to this
email and obtained via FOIA), continues to point to a CCPS Board and
Administration that cares not for the citizenry, teachers, students, or other
concerned groups watching these incompetent acts continued by CCPS. The
lack of public announcement and egregious attempt to not involve the public and
their elected officials in this event (along with the above letter
self-describing the CCPS Board and Administration as transparent and
accountable) is a clear slap in the face to the intelligence of the
constituents of the county. Transparency and accountability are nothing
more than canned jargon and sound bites used by CCPS, words they banter around
for effect, but not true operating standards or guidelines. It is clear
their actions are anything but accountable and transparent. Integrity
should be the the gold standard, not manipulation, deceit, and obfuscation for
the end all be all of increasing a budget or defending lack of process.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
feel compelled to copy Mr. Gecker and Mr. Waller since they were mentioned
herein and obviously not invited. I am also copying Mr. Elswick as he is
now the Chair of the Board of Supervisors and has been a member of the liaison
committee. I expect that the rest of each board and each administrator
will be copied but leave that action to each of the recipients herein as to
what they believe the correct action there to be. I expect, over time,
the press will either see this letter, note that no meaningful community invite
was provided, or hear this meeting occurred after the fact, eventually asking
you and the other CCPS Board members why this path was taken. A clear
path of exclusion.<br />So
I ask you again to answer my questions posed in the opening paragraph.
Please direct me to a meaningful public announcement of this event, if we
the people missed it. Specifically, an announcement that would have
included the constituents that should be attending, their elected and appointed
officials of Midlothian, and other ordinary Midlothian citizens like myself who
have interest in seeing Chesterfield County move forward.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Respectfully submitted.<br /><o:p> </o:p>Rodney
Martin<br /><o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p>PS:
I know we have discussed the 99.3% efficiency rating CCPS routinely
“quotes”. KPMG did a normal and customary audit of the county. It
did not, and does not, measure the “efficiency” of CCPS. Nor does, or
did, MGT. Each have told you this after citizen communication with those
groups.</span><br /><o:p style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </o:p></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, the <a href="http://api.ning.com/files/FkLMylrJqnVCNUS2H6eRdSEe5pSTEldjCoII71Z9BNQ1uFo7Dt-x1cr*2uLEHpVSDUID4xQKmqFOeGLUST*Zhw2IXF4Mk8N4/ccpslettertobos1915.pdf">angst of the school board</a> to fight to keep a lid on public participation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you ever seen the rules to participate as a concerned citizen in a school board meeting? Here you go...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following is the procedure by which the public may speak before the School Board: </span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Persons wishing to be heard on action items must notify the Clerk’s office by 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting; they will be heard when each item is considered.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Persons to be heard on non-agenda items will be heard during the specified section of the meeting.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: windowtext; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">It is requested that an individual conduct his/her presentation in three minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Speakers will be courteous and respectful in their remarks and will refrain from personal attacks and the use of profanity.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Speakers who have prepared written remarks or supporting documents are encouraged to leave a copy of such remarks and documents with the Clerk to the Board.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Speakers shall not discuss matters concerning the candidacy of any person seeking public office, including the candidacy of the person addressing the Board, or promote any private business venture. Speakers should also refrain from discussing matters made confidential by law, including but not limited to, matters within the attorney-client privilege, anticipated or pending litigation, matters related to specific, identifiable personnel or students, real property acquisition, or the pending award of public contracts.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Please note that the School Board does not generally respond to citizen concerns or questions during the Public Comment Period. When the School Board deems it appropriate, it will direct that a response from the Administration shall occur within a reasonable time after the meeting.</span></li>
</ol>
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<br />
<br />chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-79607473552608305172014-10-15T12:23:00.001-07:002014-10-15T12:24:10.538-07:00Do you know how much your Chesterfield County Public School "System" is out of control?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Taxpayer must remain vigilant in the face of the school bureaucrats who seek to keep how our taxes are used and abused in the dark. Sunlight is the best disinfectant for corruption, fraud, and waste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Some <a href="http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2014-10-15/Front_Page/Schools_use_millions_in_leftovers_for_project.html">media outlets</a> get it and The Taxpayer is (beyond words) appreciative.</span><br />
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To follow up on the question... <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Why the school system was allowed to build a multi-million-dollar tech center without having it formally approved and listed in its five-year capital improvement plan.", the Taxpayer submitted a Freedom of Information Act to get to the bottom of it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezZ1Pdd0psgdV2oK_nHeQni254ndMTGhhClkR-2OZjHlr75-XyQkDzAwBUtqH-dRKj6xzwLsORojjqLFRzSroFtYJoc2ELPUHXb61Tc41lOS5rbG5mlP90W00EjDHnJ8T6IFHNNhH0Gm5/s1600/CTE+Hull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezZ1Pdd0psgdV2oK_nHeQni254ndMTGhhClkR-2OZjHlr75-XyQkDzAwBUtqH-dRKj6xzwLsORojjqLFRzSroFtYJoc2ELPUHXb61Tc41lOS5rbG5mlP90W00EjDHnJ8T6IFHNNhH0Gm5/s1600/CTE+Hull.jpg" height="218" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We expect any criminal activity to be investigated and the consequences to be swift and full measure. At a minimum, the Board of Supervisors needs to rip a knot into this out-of-control School Board and School Administration. (Remember... you just stroked a $304 million dollar check to them last year.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
Subject: CCPS FOIA Request<br />
Date: October 14, 2014<br />
From: The Taxpayer </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The Taxpayer is providing this for the benefit of your clerk. It is not intended to change the date of our request or when legal receipt of our request should get to us. Our previous FOIA requests
and your response thereto (though lacking) were noted again into the public record last
night.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Via FOIA, The Taxpayer requests the following for CTE@Hull (or 21<span style="vertical-align: 3pt;">st </span>Century Academy, old Clover Hill, or
any other nomenclature CCPS has referred to the project) over and above the $9 million for
HVAC:
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any and all CIPs presented by the superintendent / staff (“staff”) to the CCPS board
and CIPs, if any, provided to the Board of Supervisors (“BoS”) via the County
Administrator (“CA”) as required per County Charter, Section 5.2 and per the
Virginia Code therein;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staff presentations presented to the CCPS board, and accompanying work papers,
supporting the lack of need to obtain Substantial Accord, per Charter and VA code,
for a change to the use of this facility;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any and all CCPS decision point documents or staff work papers that CCPS board
used not to seek Substantial Accord, as required by law;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staff presentations or work papers and CCPS acknowledgements (approvals) as to
when the project went over the LTD Budget and where funding came from for over
budget amounts given that G/L entries indicate $33 million versus $25 million
(rounded) supposedly appropriated;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Given that CCPS provided PowerPoint presentations that $6.5 million was
supposedly “funded” by savings on the new Clover Hill High School (“CCHS”),
provide all staff presentations, analyses, and work papers and/or other CCPS board
work product that supports these “savings”. NOTE that G/L ledgers show
expenditures above the appropriated column of $70+ million and NO savings are
shown; please show how funding was increased, with staff presentations, board
approvals, or BoS requests and appropriation approvals, by $6 million from $70
million to $76 million, but funds were not spent after revenue increase.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staff presentations, analyses, and work papers supporting how IDC lease, of $33
thousand per month, paid on a month to month basis, or $390 thousand per year,
supports a $4.5 million funding source per the PowerPoint presentation to BoS
Liaison and Budget and Audit committees; </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staff presentations and legal opinions or position papers that support the legal
position that projects can be funded with and by “savings” of other CIP projects;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All G/Ls or costing jobs from all projects (within or excluded from CIPs) that yielded
savings to fund CTC@Hull project;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Provide all legal support and analyses, and/or work papers, that gives THIS board
comfort that projects not in any CIP can be funded as such outside citizen purview;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Per Memo #64, dated August 9, 2011, provide when the “stakeholder” committee”
was formed, who the members were, meeting dates, and supporting minutes and
recommendations;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Provide any and all staff support, analyses, work papers, consultant work product,
and / or other board documents that provides support for not selling property to
use for other needed school CIP projects or that could support direct funding of
frontline educational needs (like teacher pay) or reduce the CCPS unfunded liability
of $70 million ($50 million in 2010 when MGT Report recommended action plan);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Provide support for which bond referendum the $25 million indebtedness now
noted on the job appropriation report is allocated to, per citizen vote;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Provide the CIP and referendum data for question 12 as support and proof;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Provide any and all staff documents, consultant work product, or other board
documents and analyses where the staff has addressed the recommendation to
reduce or minimize the $70 million unfunded SRP liability in the MGT Report and by
KPMG in the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please provide the a listing of all key administration positions and salaries of those
presiding over both MGT Report (2010 to present) and CTC@Clover Hill projects
(2007 to present);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Include the names of all CCPS school board members and their compensation in the
same time frames; also present their Aye or Nay votes on these projects and timing
thereof. </span></li>
</ol>
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-6423217605910566292014-04-18T07:22:00.001-07:002014-04-20T17:30:40.207-07:00Did you know what your County spent?The Taxpayer remains ever vigilant.... and for good reason. Why does The Taxpayer need more transparency from the county and school budget and procurement offices?<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN COST YOU!!</span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></o:p></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE <u>CHESTERFIELD EXPENDITURES AND ACTIONS</u>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>SCHOOL DIVISION
(CCPS)</u></b> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRyCz2QD4TYCkFflsDxOHQTY37HhKzNU3hvIApARbZ47YN4Js6VSu0aEKuODHT-yzoe9eoAEQcrsyDE_E8rD0_ZzHzpXmGzOkrSkUPP39F2dHBldx6oaoWLq6tKYPIQiTVXT-6MvdJDUs/s1600/bosher.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRyCz2QD4TYCkFflsDxOHQTY37HhKzNU3hvIApARbZ47YN4Js6VSu0aEKuODHT-yzoe9eoAEQcrsyDE_E8rD0_ZzHzpXmGzOkrSkUPP39F2dHBldx6oaoWLq6tKYPIQiTVXT-6MvdJDUs/s1600/bosher.png" height="200" width="126" /></a></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Paid $533,309</b> (average <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">more than <u>$476 per hour</u></b>) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">to two former superintendents</b> (Bosher
and Cannaday) whose contracts required they <u>be available for consulting</u>
10 days per year for seven years after they retired. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kept them on school’s payroll issuing
bimonthly checks although they were no longer employees, but independent
contractors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Value received by taxpayers
for this expense: nothing that can be documented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were “some conversations” according to
school officials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;">Wouldn’t you like to get paid for conversations after you
retire?</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMsF1JgHHW7OExN_qW1rZjGRXvzVTwsF9bzJwrEQEZK9g_m2lfeY_b8EvrrDkR3uTDJjEqp5LNKX7vQVxPuCGhgpqWBrMf65Fy3-Cq5icJvPxRbOIzoJZparxFeuDI8JcH3acL0psw_jL/s1600/cannaday.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMsF1JgHHW7OExN_qW1rZjGRXvzVTwsF9bzJwrEQEZK9g_m2lfeY_b8EvrrDkR3uTDJjEqp5LNKX7vQVxPuCGhgpqWBrMf65Fy3-Cq5icJvPxRbOIzoJZparxFeuDI8JcH3acL0psw_jL/s1600/cannaday.png" height="200" width="156" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amount <u>to be paid to Superintendent Newsome</u> under similar arrangement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">More than $310,000 </b>(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>$775+ per hour</u></b> or 163% of hourly rate paid to Bosher and Cannaday) based on Dr. Newsome’s 2013 salary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actual payout will be higher after adjustment for raises between 2013 and his retirement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Superintendent’s contract also permits him to “moonlight” at consulting, writing, lecturing or public speaking while under contract to Chesterfield.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjeTEqadyotigy1dXwlkoI1RBUYzh0noC2ObywaovDSD3Yh9DsKUhKBI9YRiRzngYyN4KrfJW5NFtzbbcpYTRWDis-CZwc6mefE2M66pFaEsWN6DOiVtVKRb2HiurjyRURSNolTOcpYTI/s1600/David-Wyman-214x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjeTEqadyotigy1dXwlkoI1RBUYzh0noC2ObywaovDSD3Yh9DsKUhKBI9YRiRzngYyN4KrfJW5NFtzbbcpYTRWDis-CZwc6mefE2M66pFaEsWN6DOiVtVKRb2HiurjyRURSNolTOcpYTI/s1600/David-Wyman-214x300.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your School Board’s response when this was publicly called to their attention:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Chairman David Wyman, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“… he is worth every penny to our school system and to our community</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>d.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your School Board’s response when Dr. Doland and Mr. Wyman were asked to pull extension of the Superintendent’s contract from the December 2013 consent agenda for taxpayer to publicly address failure to revise contract language to <u>require</u> performance of the consulting work prior to payment:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NO!</b></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Cambria;"></span></strong> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">2<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continues a Supplemental Retirement Program
(SRP) no longer justified and no longer affordable.</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This locally funded program provides a benefit
of 175% of final annual compensation in addition to regular retirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This benefit can be withdrawn in as few as
five years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SRP
Trust Fund Contributions from FY 2005-2011 totaled $60.5 million.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MGT of America “auditors” (term used by CCPS)
reported that the 2009 unfunded pension benefit liability of $59 million
represented a significant challenge to the financial status of the School
Division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The increased number of participants over the next few years will
dramatically increase the cost of this program</b>,” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">auditors reported.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">By July
2012 the <u>unfunded liability</u> had <u>grown to $72.5 million</u>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS has the richest retiree health benefit in
the region according to Superintendent Newsome and is committed to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">maintain the richest benefits for our
employees and retirees</i>.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In
2013 the School Board chose to ignore the auditors’ warning</b> when it voted
to continue the program for all except new employees joining the system July 1,
2013 or later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>d.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
County employees, CCPS employees essentially pay nothing toward their
retirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The General Assembly
required local taxpayers to fund raises to cover the changed procedure
requiring contributions to the Virginia Retirement System to be deducted from
employee’s checks instead of being paid by local governments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, 5% raises were granted to cover employees’
contributions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Future percentage “merit”
raises will cost taxpayers more, because base salaries increased to fund retirement
contributions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>e.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From information provided by County staff in
2013 during budget discussions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>f.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Local
share of the Virginia Retirement System’s needed funding is about $540 million
for schools alone <u>without</u></b> including the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Supplemental Retirement Program unfunded liabilities</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>g.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Retirement of 180 employees
generated liabilities of almost $19 million in 2011 alone</u>.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Auditors” reported that as baby boomers
reach retirement age, the increased number of participants will dramatically
increase the cost of this program.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Cambria;">THE SRP PROGRAM IS
NO LONGER AFFORDABLE AND MUST BE DISCONTINUED.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spent almost $872,000 in 2011 for licenses,
workbooks and technical support for intensive reading program</b> to help
students reading two or more years below grade level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spent approximately $16,000 for evaluation of
program’s implementation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FINDING</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>23% of middle school and 42% of high school <u>licenses
not used</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WASTE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Approx. $211,700 (more
than $878 per license)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt-rxhK4137AkOOaHCSyCihYTHjcawLKjFkRJCx8TTZAdiRJmh11glascK-KEuslG_noVfFGq9F-yZJ5LP4K3gv0s0VNYtrj1W7qcmwtfQpW2qi4bebHgm1bkrNRPKjisJwVkqPYMDmrF/s1600/cpeflogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNt-rxhK4137AkOOaHCSyCihYTHjcawLKjFkRJCx8TTZAdiRJmh11glascK-KEuslG_noVfFGq9F-yZJ5LP4K3gv0s0VNYtrj1W7qcmwtfQpW2qi4bebHgm1bkrNRPKjisJwVkqPYMDmrF/s1600/cpeflogo.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many years
CCPS’ annual operating budget has included a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">$100,000 donation to the Chesterfield Public Education Foundation</b>,
a 501(c) (3) organization created in <u>1989</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, the amount was $75,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on available records, CCPS has
contributed approximately $1 million.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS’ contribution in 2011 represented more
than 35% of total contributions and grants received.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Foundation paid its Director more than
$93,200 plus benefits in 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
School Board may, but is not required to contribute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Board holds the opinion that any
year’s appropriation is not sufficient to make the contribution, it may be
discontinued.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why isn’t it a higher priority to hire a
teacher or two with this money than to donate it to a charitable
foundation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A citizen’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">request to publicly address this issue</b> by pulling the appropriation
from the Board’s consent agenda in December 2013 was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">denied</b> by School Board Member Dr. Doland and Chairman, Mr. Wyman.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JsmVFFcrK9850ULG5XSy_jpaZEM9B2TsRNzLwMeaFC_65xbAIVDPgEYSAUXrr1T-AYs_uCTmRsBUB4xMiOiPWENMKhwVjQAB3hrgrU0BoMNYqQ49j3uykxPSHZkUMXMmdeKsxn0-43W3/s1600/37667_416884559290_4999488_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JsmVFFcrK9850ULG5XSy_jpaZEM9B2TsRNzLwMeaFC_65xbAIVDPgEYSAUXrr1T-AYs_uCTmRsBUB4xMiOiPWENMKhwVjQAB3hrgrU0BoMNYqQ49j3uykxPSHZkUMXMmdeKsxn0-43W3/s1600/37667_416884559290_4999488_n.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Superintendent engaged the services of a
Richmond advertising firm to assist in developing a “brand” for the school
system. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools are not selling Coke
in a competitive environment; they are operating schools with mandatory
attendance requirements, so why spend scarce money on developing a
“brand”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Superintendent
broke the procurement rules</b> when he engaged the company, received an
invoice and then began the paperwork for the purchase. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The contract was cancelled after paying the firm more than $13,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Value received:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Nothing documented.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuGBwBrGu81KPczXZEfvYOnMQA7aHVq9F3OF5zb7XIE_NojG3Pk_UyURn7nOK46U7r5c9K1-s1P0Ef2qnaP9nblNCpCY7kZBeQGswItQA8IQywbid4fvBGZZjKAnGlGFVbsVufyDRG6rR/s1600/BOB-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuGBwBrGu81KPczXZEfvYOnMQA7aHVq9F3OF5zb7XIE_NojG3Pk_UyURn7nOK46U7r5c9K1-s1P0Ef2qnaP9nblNCpCY7kZBeQGswItQA8IQywbid4fvBGZZjKAnGlGFVbsVufyDRG6rR/s1600/BOB-M.jpg" height="200" width="164" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">6. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Superintendent
invited Bill Bosher (former Superintendent of Chesterfield Schools) </b>and Bob
Mills of Moseley Architects <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">to a <u>closed</u>
School Board meeting in July 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>There
reportedly to discuss possible uses for the former Clover Hill High building,
the duo<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> pitched their consulting
proposal </b>for the 21<sup>st</sup> Century Academy based on a document with
that date addressed to Dr. Newsome. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>PROBLEM:
</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Code of Virginia does not allow
closing public meetings for that purpose plus these consultants who would later
receive a contract that should have been competitive were given special
treatment that prejudiced other potential consultants. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>RESULT:
</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Newsome violated the Freedom of
Information Act with respect to attendance at closed meetings and violated
Virginia procurement rules.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
announcing its intention to award the contract to DecideSmart, a firm in which
Bill Bosher and Lane Ramsey (former Chesterfield County Administrator), are
partners, CCPS was reminded by the County Director of Purchasing that it had no
authority to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Subsequently, the purchase was advertised
very briefly and then awarded to DecideSmart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">report produced was several
months late, full of errors of all kinds,</b> contained 42 pages of material
from DecideSmart (including proposals related to programs already established
by the Commonwealth of Virginia) and 46 pages of a photocopied report prepared
by CCPS itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several other pages of
the report contained duplicate information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For this, taxpayers <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">paid $30,000</b>,
including $2,500 to reimburse Moseley Architects for items not listed in the
purchase order.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>NOTE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The County Director of Purchasing found it
necessary to reiterate to CCPS the importance of having its personnel avail
themselves of Purchasing User Training offered through Chesterfield University
to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>reduce the instances of
unauthorized procurements</u></i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
record exists that training was done.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">7. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS had students turn out the lights during
the school day to help save energy, but failed to properly consider energy
costs for past school designs when evaluating proposals and selecting
architects to design new schools and additions.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjCZtcY-0K-594Tx832KtmcsGyMTiPabs2v7fbl3sCAAz3gOd81mXbPLRXXb92GGqe8_OrkUa8iHPvJ4Lb-jmXryIObHlPfpK85QlHLvI1VysmG2xqyB5X5xHKShyphenhyphenQTF-cvRXMed0G-c9/s1600/cosby-high-school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjCZtcY-0K-594Tx832KtmcsGyMTiPabs2v7fbl3sCAAz3gOd81mXbPLRXXb92GGqe8_OrkUa8iHPvJ4Lb-jmXryIObHlPfpK85QlHLvI1VysmG2xqyB5X5xHKShyphenhyphenQTF-cvRXMed0G-c9/s1600/cosby-high-school.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<u>Chesterfield’s two newest high schools
have the highest energy costs per square foot, partly caused by their designs</u>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The average costs per square foot for Matoaca
High and Cosby High exceeded that of Midlothian High by 66% and exceeded the
average of the other eight high schools by 31%.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David Wyman, vice-chairman of the school
board … said, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I wouldn’t call it a
design flaw because you have trade offs when designing buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We seek a certain academic climate …”</i>
–but at what cost to taxpayers, Mr. Wyman?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">energy
manager for the county government and Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS)
replied, ‘Buildings that are not energy efficient are an extravagance that we
cannot afford.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He declined further
comment</i>.” (Chesterfield Observer, New high schools have higher energy
costs, July 22, 2009)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPjkAz4TZi6nbTE4SLs1CL5u11TMpW0LRUV8G3ZaToiZx3E3tp9f23R-0MKcvG_a2Wss1tDrOxujMz3V_9QhawQ1ntAlm4wfhuF0MYbqmKm5mLTYDipC3Eq1KRAQI3u4xrxecjFjoqyaH/s1600/she832ex_128474_md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPjkAz4TZi6nbTE4SLs1CL5u11TMpW0LRUV8G3ZaToiZx3E3tp9f23R-0MKcvG_a2Wss1tDrOxujMz3V_9QhawQ1ntAlm4wfhuF0MYbqmKm5mLTYDipC3Eq1KRAQI3u4xrxecjFjoqyaH/s1600/she832ex_128474_md.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The School Superintendent’s 2013 Leadership
Conference on poverty cost more than $32,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>Instead of using County facilities for the conference, CCPS rented
the Sheraton Park South and incurred substantial costs for use of meeting space
and microphones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meals were provided
when they were not necessary given the time of the sessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The speaker’s fee was $19,000.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS has a contract with University of
Richmond to rent space and cater meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>expenses
are not necessary</u></b> when there is space in Chesterfield’s buildings.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If CCPS truly values the teachers and the
students, why not pay the best Chesterfield teachers who teach local students
from low socio-economic (poverty) areas to share their insights with fellow
teachers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Local experience should be
more valuable than experiences from long ago and far away.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">9<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS spent several hundred thousand dollars
on lighting</b> for auditoriums at two newly opened middle schools and said
they were “just finishing the schools.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did
they plan to be in the dark in the auditoriums for the first two years?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Audit reports have documented change orders
for almost $167,000 caused by errors/omissions by the architect/engineering
firm<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>. Why are taxpayers paying for
architect’s mistakes?</u></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">10<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS purchased more than $4,000 worth of new
furniture</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">for someone</b> at the
Fulghum Center and then told employees to put buckets under leaks and cover
computer and other equipment to protect it from the leaky roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Would taxpayers have considered it a
priority to fix the roof first?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CCPS paid more than three times for
essentially the same high school design.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matoaca, Cosby and Clover Hill High are all built from the same basic
design. These designs cost taxpayers millions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The designs cost <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">almost half a
million extra</b> because two contracts were let for part of the same design
services at Cosby High.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The supposed
credit claimed by CCPS was never documented. Documents do exist to show the
double charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outside auditors verified
that the credit was never documented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>CCPS never
explained why it did not choose to purchase the plans when Matoaca High was
built even though it knew that other high school construction was planned
soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CCPS fails to manage trailers parked at
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Even a quick comparison of
the number of trailers parked at schools with the seats available and being
used at each school will engender numerous questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See examples below from data for the 2013-14
school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Obvious question:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is there
so much disparity in the number of trailers relative to the number of seats
available and needed?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Robius
Elementary has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">113 empty</b> seats and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NO trailers</b>.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Harrowgate
Elementary has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">102 empty</b> seats and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Watkins Elementary has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">253 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3 trailers.</b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Chalkley
Elementary has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">146 seat shortage</b>
and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">13 trailers.</b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Overall capacity <u>existing</u>
in elementary schools:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>27,003<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Overall capacity<u>
needed</u> in elementary schools:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>25,997<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Manchester Middle has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">112 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">20 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Falling Creek Middle has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">14 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Swift Creek
Middle has a<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> 15 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Salem Church Middle has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">236 empty seats</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Providence Middle has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">225 empty seats </b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Midlothian Middle has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">300 empty seats</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Matoaca Middle (both campuses)
has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">366 empty seats</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Overall capacity <u>existing</u>
in middle schools:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15,470<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Overall capacity <u>needed</u>
in middle schools:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>13,914<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Matoaca High has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">66 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Cosby High has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">275 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Clover Hill High has a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">125 seat shortage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">no trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Chesterfield Community High has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">295 empty seats</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">9 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Thomas Dale High & Annex has
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">553 empty seats</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Manchester High has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">256 empty seats</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5 trailers.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Overall capacity <u>existing</u>
in high schools:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19,931<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Overall capacity <u>needed</u>
in high schools:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>18,471<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">NOTE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Calculation of functional capacity in schools
recently changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New capacity figures
are shown here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying to get
documentation on why and how calculations changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matoaca High, e.g., was more than 120% of
capacity, but is now shown as 104% because 270 seats were added to functional
capacity.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Cambria;">ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE
AND HIGH SCHOOLS ALL HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH SEATS ON A COUNTY-WIDE BASIS—The
seats are just not located where the students are.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The obvious question
is how much can CCPS do to match the seats needed with the seats available to
avoid unnecessary classroom additions and new buildings so money can be used
for revitalization of older schools?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>COUNTY</u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Cambria;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chesterfield <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">spent approximately $1 million on consultants
to help staff develop a new comprehensive plan that was essentially thrown in
the trash</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County staff then developed
a replacement comprehensive plan with helpful guidance from the Planning
Commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That plan was adopted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who was held accountable</b> for the waste
of money on the consultants and for writing a contract that did not require an
acceptable product to be produced before the consultants were paid<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NO
ONE it appears</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Accountability—what’s </span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">that?</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chesterfield has its own egregious example
of a double dipper ($2 million + full county retirement and apparently 48 years
of commuting at public expense), so be careful how you criticize the city of
Richmond</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Halloween 2013 Channel
6 news reported on double dipping teachers in Richmond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From their news report:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bringing people back for decades after they
retired is unacceptable,” Gray said. <b>What are you going to do about it?</b></i></span></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Government watchdog Paul Goldman said the
problem is that the public accepts the practice of retirees going back to work
and “double dipping” the system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
reason they keep trying to get away with this is because they think you don’t
care and so far they’re the ones laughing all the way to the bank, aren’t they”
Goldman said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called upon the citizens
of Richmond to hold their elected leaders accountable for their actions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A former Chesterfield fire chief who retired
in July 1997 after 30 years of service is being paid approximately $100,000 on
a part-time job he has held since his retirement about 17 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His title is Assistant to the County
Administrator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The County also has an
Assistant County Administrator and three Deputy County Administrators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His part-time salary was more than $142,000
as recently as 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Taxpayers have paid him approximately $2
million in addition to full retirement over the last 17 years</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">on this part-time job. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to county documents he is assigned
a county vehicle that is justified based on the statement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“I was
issued a county vehicle in 1966</b>.” </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>d.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concerned citizens who disagree with this
blatant favoritism for former highly placed County officials need to inform Supervisors
and the County Administrator and demand this money be spent more responsibly.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chesterfield leased County softball facilities
at Daniels Park and Warbro Athletic Complex to a private entity that will
profit from use of those facilities at unfavorable terms for taxpayers and
failed to properly execute its responsibilities thereby permitting waste,
potential fraud, and abuse to occur.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a. Following
actions are representative of many concerns that arose as a small group of
concerned citizens investigated and advocated for the taxpayers as the initial
lease of public softball facilities was renewed for the next five years.</span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhovYnOg23AI-NJR5gy9N5LDf9fw_5lQksuysk4EuLkTXSw-ePJPbHAXqGgqD_AVjo21Y7yLgQlJI8d3AkLrpvWRswVwAKxvCve4T3cxiN3is5JAHBAmqd0FF0oCFU4qhqzmmMQ-quT-p/s1600/softball.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhovYnOg23AI-NJR5gy9N5LDf9fw_5lQksuysk4EuLkTXSw-ePJPbHAXqGgqD_AVjo21Y7yLgQlJI8d3AkLrpvWRswVwAKxvCve4T3cxiN3is5JAHBAmqd0FF0oCFU4qhqzmmMQ-quT-p/s1600/softball.png" height="140" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County cancelled a 2010 concession contract
that paid $16,000 annually two-thirds of the way through the contract and
“negotiated” a payment of $6,000 for the eight months the contract was in
force.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County turned these concessions over to a
firm with NO CONTRACT in place for the remainder of the year and got no payment
in return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOSS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$10,000<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>d.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County turned nine public softball fields
over to a firm with NO CONTRACT in place and got nothing for four months
despite having a contract awaiting approval that required $65,000 annual rent
payments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOSS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$21,668<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Liability exposure with no written
contract for more than 10 months:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unknown</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>e.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County, contrary to terms of contract
awaiting approval, continued to pay water and sewer charges that were lessee’s
responsibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charges from 2010
through 2013 were not collected until July 2013 after public questioning.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>f.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County allowed Dominion Virginia Power to
turn a Chesterfield account for electricity over to a collection agency because
the firm operating public park facilities with no contract had not put the
meter in its name as the contract required.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>g.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County failed to collect 2011 non-resident
fees from lessee until July 2013.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>h.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County did not properly monitor lessee’s
performance, kept almost no records of events with financial implications, and
did not require performance of improvements required by the lease.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>i.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County files contain no valid attempts to
develop pro forma model of potential for revenue by lessee as basis for valuing
softball facilities.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>j.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County replaced the initial lease (rent of
$65,000 annually) with a five-year lease specifying rent of only $30,000 per
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">County files contain no documentation giving rationale for reducing
rent.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Replacement lease also had
more favorable terms and fewer required improvements.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">LOSS OF RENT COMPARED
TO FORMER CONTRACT:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$150,000 over five
years<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>THE TAXPAYER BOTTOM LINE</u></b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Failure of County to properly manage the
process of soliciting proposals and administering the former lease, failure to
properly develop a business case for leasing public facilities, and failure to
properly evaluate relevant information and properly solicit and evaluate
proposals for a second lease cost taxpayers far more than the $30,000 loss in
annual rent.</span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">COUNTY AND SCHOOL
DIVISION (CCPS)<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></o:p></span></u></b><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">VEHICLE USE AND COMMUTING<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">A</span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">
</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2013 final internal
audit report reveals that <b>74 of 88 vehicles purchased for use </b></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">VEHICLE
USE AND COMMUTING </b></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">by the
Police Department</span></i></b><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> were
vehicles that are usually <b>put into service one to two years after the
purchase date</b>. </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> <i>The same audit report noted that <b><u>17
vehicles were put in service two years or more after the purchase date. Three
of those 17 vehicles were put in service five years or more after the purchase
date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></u></b></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Reportedly, a County employee takes a large ring of keys and goes to
the </span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">storage lot to start those vehicles just
sitting there over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i><span style="color: #fb0007; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Would<u> you</u> buy a vehicle
several years before you needed it and leave it sitting in your driveway?
</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>County officials this year advised a taxpayer
that problems with date entry had caused the report of a vehicle sitting for
five years before being used, and that the Police Department had changed
procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final audit was issued
in February 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A draft report was
circulated among county managers prior to publication of the final report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why didn’t managers respond to the auditors
to correct this information before the report was released?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, circulation of unfavorable
information among the citizens gets attention that audit reports do not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">This audit report
identifies on page 7 <u>potential cost savings of $24 million</u> for 454
vehicles that appear to be underutilized.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">d</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The report
stated: "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Commuting
privileges could not be evaluated during this audit so the volume of underutilized
vehicles is most likely understated</u></b><u>.”</u> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>e.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Despite an official County Policy (# 5-1)
requiring Department managers to justify each employee's use of a County
vehicle for commuting to and from work and to identify actual times the
employee was called out after hours, when a taxpayer requested information
related to commuting vehicles, the County’s response was that it would cost <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$480 to pay for search costs.</i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The audit reports that most departments are
ignoring the policy (only 11% complied with auditor’s request for such
information), and the data have not been collected as required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The County is reporting 26 commuting vehicles
(including 4 commuting outside the county), based on the mostly incomplete data
collection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">f.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently,
neither the failure of County Departments to provide data to internal auditors
nor their failure to comply with written policies is a priority with the County
Administrator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than one year after
revelation of the serious noncompliance with County policies in a critical
area, the County continues to insist that the taxpayer write a check for $480
to pay for compiling commuting vehicle information that the County is required
to develop, but has not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>g.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If the
County Administrator does not support the work of internal auditors and does
not require compliance with written policies on matters involving millions of
dollars spent on vehicles—a publicly sensitive topic involving<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>assets widely vulnerable to abuse—then why
should the taxpayers continue to fund internal auditors<u>?<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>h.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i><u>When
the County Administrator does not know how many employees are commuting daily
and why, but he knows he needs a bigger budget, are you convinced there is no
where else to look for savings?<o:p></o:p></u></i></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">TAXPAYERS SHOULD
INSIST ON AN INSPECTOR GENERAL WHO REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(Internal
auditors are of limited value because they are subject to undue influence from
those being audited </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">because those same people write the auditor’s paychecks.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">CCPS REPORTS 177
COMMUTING VEHICLES</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, but no records
to support the justification for individual commuting privileges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Responses
to taxpayer’s requests for documents revealed that general justifications for
commuting have not been reviewed since 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those documents included incomplete analyses based on faulty data that
does not withstand examination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>General
justification for granting so many commuting privileges included costs of not
commuting that cannot be substantiated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Data provided on emergency callouts were from
2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specific examples using a
locksmith living in Powhatan County were incomplete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appeared that three locksmiths commute
daily (240 days per year) to respond to an average of approximately 2.25
emergencies per month (2009).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one did
the math to identify the cost of having three people commuting 720 days per
year to answer approximately 27 calls per year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The “Efficiency Committee” did calculate that it cost 35 cents per mile
for employees to commute in light and heavy trucks and vans, but used 50 cents
per mile as the figure for reimbursing those using a privately owned vehicle to
answer an emergency call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you do
the study, you apparently get to pick the numbers you need to prove your chosen
result.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From documents associated with the same audit
report already referenced, “<u>School Board will not participate in study</u>”
appeared under the heading “Justifications received from Departments.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for declining should be apparent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LAND PURCHASES FOR SCHOOLS <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While appraisals are sought
for some properties, others that cost much more lack appraisals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the Real Estate Assessor valued a
property purchased as part of the site for the new Clover Hill High School at $37,200,
the School Board approved paying <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">more
than $500,000</b> for it, including the cost of options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who
can justify writing a check for $5000 to extend an option and then paying twice
the option price for 12 acres of land that another County Department valued at
$37,200?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Apparently <u>your local
government </u>can.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The County still owns 6.644 acres next to
Cosby High School that was not needed according to some official documents, but
was purchased anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cost taxpayers
approximately <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">$227,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Taxpayers also paid for an expensive road
on the Cosby High site that appears useful primarily to developers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">APPARENTLY TERMINATED LAND PURCHASE
ASSOCIATED WITH RENOVATION OF MATOACA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITHOUT DOCUMENTED
JUSTIFICATION<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>a.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>As documented in the landowner’s personally delivered letter dated
November 12, 2013 to Superintendent Newsome, a proposed purchase of land
reportedly needed to renovate Matoaca Elementary was initiated in 2010 by CCPS
and apparently terminated in September 2013 with no formal notification to the
landowner.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>b.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2012 CCPS reported that the School Board
desired to purchase the property for expansion purposes.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>c.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landowner signed a contract presented by
the County on September 21, 2012.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>d.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least three separate times this proposed land
purchase was submitted for consideration as an agenda item by the Board of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supervisors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three times the agenda item was pulled with no clear documentation to
establish the reason.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>e.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On August 1, 2013, CCPS wrote “… my board has
not decided what they want to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
that I mean weather (sic) to build new on a new site or rebuild on the existing
site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>f.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On September 12, 2013, CCPS wrote, “… the
school division is not currently interested in purchasing the (name deleted)
residence …”.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>g.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current presentations on the Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP) from CCPS show that the renovations to Matoaca
Elementary will be done on site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
landowner’s property was previously described as necessary for the expansion/renovations.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>h.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Superintendent Newsome has yet to respond to
the landowner’s November letter asking that CCPS either purchase the property
or return the contract she signed.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE TAXPAYER BOTTOM LINE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CCPS and the County have wasted enough time
and money to have already paid for this small piece of property reportedly
needed for renovations to Matoaca Elementary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The proposed CIP contains $3 million in planned spending for the next
two years.</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">There’s a lot more; but, these bureaucrats<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> want to keep you in the dark. The Taxpayer will no longer be led by one or two budget directors with a candle in the dark morass of each budget cycle. We will let the sunlight into the process and finally see where the county checks go and for how much OR we will replace our representatives to do so. </span></span></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-85881491698069851302014-02-23T18:19:00.004-08:002014-02-23T18:21:37.373-08:00Download our Guide for the 2014 Chesterfield County Budget DiscussionsThe Taxpayer has been busy... hibernating.<br />
<br />
Yet every spring she awakes from her slumber to find new ways that the aristocats want to shrink her liberty and take her property.<br />
<br />
We have assembled a panel of experts (Winnie the Pooh, Yogi, Booboo, and Mr. Bare Necessities) to assist our elected officials and aministrators with what I love to do after a long winter's nap.... <br />
<br />
"Trim the fat."<br />
<br />
LET'S ROLL!<br />
<br />
Download our Guide for the <a href="http://api.ning.com/files/VMB94olbxS2HMCGt341riTZ2*zgfpxqDjQbZbaMKrUxfTYKGx-UDDrWabw0tK1ASO-SAnzkiAsJTZyMuPp8*m-Pbp8n8J7eW/CitizenInputintotheChesterfieldCountyBudgetProcessFrameworkandReccommendations021914.pdf" target="_blank">2014 Chesterfield County Budget Discussions</a>.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Mama Grizzly<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWWBpC5Bro8L_KEqmbbS1SHRiT-SrnGEL9dkScAtYy1ZE2AbG-9k_ANnnrVnCmG4s-zoMI94FJIKzMyq47UXokGa6PfMnbOL1Y1RDBJHfHFgAkvcSNLSiwRpX8cIxOUj0PKJAOVaAc08-/s1600/lunch-time-bear-eating-fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWWBpC5Bro8L_KEqmbbS1SHRiT-SrnGEL9dkScAtYy1ZE2AbG-9k_ANnnrVnCmG4s-zoMI94FJIKzMyq47UXokGa6PfMnbOL1Y1RDBJHfHFgAkvcSNLSiwRpX8cIxOUj0PKJAOVaAc08-/s1600/lunch-time-bear-eating-fish.jpg" /></a></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-24016803330520516992013-12-12T10:10:00.001-08:002013-12-12T10:10:51.125-08:00The Fox guarding the hen house in Chesterfield County<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">H/T to Ms. Brenda Stewart and her efforts to bring this malfeasance to light.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After attending and speaking at meetings of both the School Board and the Board of Supervisors this week, The Taxpayer is dismayed. It is obvious to all that many of these "public servants" have forgotten who they are in office to serve. As with our federal government, it appears that local officials seem more intent on amassing larger and larger budgets to fund government with less and less consideration of those who are paying the bills. Over the coming weeks leading up to Chesterfield's attempt to extract even more money from its citizens by increasing the real estate tax rate or putting pressure on the system to increase the assessments, we plan to share some examples of the way that Chesterfield (county side) and the School Division have spent the public's money. We will try to distill information from many of the examples of poor spending practices that we have collected and tell as simple a story as we can of the way those practices waste our money and leave us vulnerable to continued exchange of our scarce resources for much less than acceptable value.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94qq1Cr3jFiGI2W_oPvRbrQUbK4cU5t94uSXVJTk0F8q9ppp2NP7pdpf5zHQ1HUMQI8M5lrINynXD-t3ltOZsvJo73H5rOK-YzclfigUSsLc_6iSFPrbs64NVaoDZCWWQUJV_2MJCi6IE/s640/blogger-image-346959097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94qq1Cr3jFiGI2W_oPvRbrQUbK4cU5t94uSXVJTk0F8q9ppp2NP7pdpf5zHQ1HUMQI8M5lrINynXD-t3ltOZsvJo73H5rOK-YzclfigUSsLc_6iSFPrbs64NVaoDZCWWQUJV_2MJCi6IE/s640/blogger-image-346959097.jpg"></a></div>When the Board of Supervisors can defer a case involving the size of a chicken coop to hold six chickens and the distance from the property line to locate it, but cannot wait another month to properly address issues raised with a contract for turning over millions of dollars of the public's park facilities to a private contractor who will make millions using those facilities, I think the Board of Supervisors has misplaced its priorities. No one is playing softball in January.</b></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">See below for just a few examples related to public park facilities that should concern Chesterfield's taxpayers, many of whom are struggling while county executives with six-figure salaries do nothing to require accountability of those who are failing to properly execute their responsibilities.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Does this look like THE Model for how to take care of the taxpayers’ business in Chesterfield County </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Warbro Athletic Complex and Daniels Park at Ironbridge</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1. Cancel a 2010 concession contract that pays you $16,000 annually two-thirds of the way through the contract and “negotiate” a payment of $6,000 for the eight months contract was in force. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2. Turn those concessions over to a firm with no contract in place for the remainder of the year and get no payment in return. (Loss: $10,000)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">3. Turn nine public softball fields over to a firm with no contract in place and get nothing for four months despite having a contract awaiting approval that requires $65,000 annual rent payments. (Loss: $21,668) Exposure to potential liability by allowing occupancy of real estate with no written contract: Unknown.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4. Contrary to terms of contract awaiting approval, continue to pay water and sewer charges that are supposed to be paid by firm using public facilities with no contract in place.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">5. Allow Dominion Virginia Power to turn a Chesterfield account for electricity over to a collection agency because the firm operating public park facilities with no contract has not had the meter put in the firm’s name as required by the contract awaiting approval.</span></p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Taxpayer is mightily curious about what standard of performance our public servants are being held to.</span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">More to come! Drip... Drip... Drip...</span></div>chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-9518093806671418272013-10-27T14:55:00.000-07:002013-10-28T04:17:12.839-07:00Who is the Taxpayer? She will vote NO on NOvember 5th on the Meals Tax questionWith a strong nod to William Graham Sumner... From time to time, we get questions regarding "Who is the Taxpayer?"... With the important meals tax question on the ballot on NOvember 5th. The Taxpayer wants to clarify who she is and also encourage her fellow Chesterfield voters a strong <strong>NO vote</strong> on the meals tax. Now who is the Taxpayer? ;)<br />
<br />
She is the simple, honest laborer, ready to earn
her living by productive work. We pass her by because she is independent,
self-supporting, and asks no favors. She does not appeal to the emotions or
excite the sentiments. She only wants to make a contract and fulfill it, with
respect on both sides and favor on neither side. <br />
<br />
She must get her living out of
the capital of Chesterfield County. The larger the capital is, the better living she can
get. Every particle of capital which is wasted on the vicious, the idle, and the
shiftless is so much taken from the capital available to reward the independent
and productive laborer. <br />
<br />
But we stand with our backs to the independent and
productive laborer all the time. We do not remember the Taxpayer because she makes no
clamor. We appeal to one's commonsense. Should the Taxpayer be remembered? Should we protect
her against the burdens of the good-for-nothing? <br />
<br />
In these last years we have read
hundreds of articles and heard scores of sermons and speeches which were really
glorifications of the good-for-nothing, as if these were the charge of society, recommended by right reason to its care and protection, We are addressed all the
time as if those who are respectable were to blame because some are not so, and
as if there were an obligation on the part of those who have done their duty
towards those who have not done their duty. <br />
<br />
Every woman is bound to take care of
herself and her family and to do her share in the work of society. It is totally
false that one who has done so is bound to bear the care and charge of those who
are wretched because they have not done so. The silly popular notion is that the
beggars live at the expense of the rich, but the truth is that those who eat and
produce not, live at the expense of those who labor and produce. The next time
that you are tempted to subscribe a dollar to a charity, we do not tell you not
to do it, because after you have fairly considered the matter, you may think it
right to do it, but we do ask you to stop and remember the Taxpayer and
understand that if you put your dollar in the savings bank it will go to swell
the capital of the county which is available for division amongst those who,
while they earn it, will reproduce it with increase.<br />
<br />
<br />
Such is The Taxpayer. She works, she votes, generally she prays-- but she
always pays--yes, above all, she pays. She does not want the corner office; her name never
gets into the newspaper except when she gets married or dies. she keeps working as a cog in the machine. She is flattered before
each November election. She is strongly patriotic. She is wanted, whenever, in her little
circle of friends, there is work to be done or advice to be given. She may grumble a little bit to her husband and family, but she does not frequent the food pantry or
talk politics. <br />
<br />
Consequently, she is forgotten. She is a commonplace woman. She gives no one any trouble. She excites no admiration or second glance. She is not in any way a hero
(like a popular statesman); or a problem (like social misfits); nor notorious
(like criminals); nor an object of sympathy (like the poor and weak); nor a
burden (like welfare recipients or crony capitalists); nor an object out of which social capital may
be made (like the beneficiaries of church charities); nor an object
for charitable aid and protection (like animals treated with cruelty); nor the
object of a job (like the ignorant and illiterate); nor one over whom
economists and statesmen can parade their fine wares (like
inefficient workmen and shiftless artisans). <br />
<br />
Therefore, she is forgotten. All the
burdens fall on her.
It is plain enough that the Taxpayers are the
very life and substance of society. They are the ones who ought to be first and
always remembered. They are always forgotten by the bleeding hearts,
philanthropists, reformers, government enthusiasts, and every description of
sociologists, political economists, or political scientists. If a student of any of these
sciences ever comes to understand the position of the Taxpayer and to
appreciate her true value, you will find such student an uncompromising advocate
of the strictest scientific thinking on all social topics, and a cold and
hard-hearted skeptic towards all artificial schemes of social experiments. If
it is desired to bring about social improvements bring us a scheme for relieving
the Taxpayer of some of her burdens. She is our productive force which we
are wasting. Let us stop wasting her force. Then we shall have a clean and
simple gain for the whole society. <br />
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</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
The Taxpayer is weighted down with the
cost and burden of the schemes for making everybody happy, with the cost of
public beneficence, with the support of all the loafers, with the loss of all
the economic quackery, with the cost of all the jobs. Let us remember her a
little while. Let us take some of the burdens off her. Let us turn our pity on
her instead of on the goodfornothing. It will be only justice to her, and
society will greatly gain by it. Why should we not also have the satisfaction of
thinking and caring for a little about the clean, honest, industrious,
independent, self-supporting men and women who have not inherited much to make
life luxurious for them, but who are doing what they<i> </i>can to get on in the
world without begging from anybody, especially since all they want is to<i>
</i>be let alone, with good friendship and honest respect, Certainly the
philanthropists and bleeding hearts have kept our attention for a longtime on
the nasty, shiftless, criminal, whining, crawling, and good for nothing people,
as if they alone deserved our attention.
<br />
<br />
The Taxpayer is never a pauper. She almost always has a little capital
because it belongs to the character of the woman to save something. She never has
more than a little. She is, therefore, poor in the popular sense, although in the
correct sense she is not so. We have said already that if you learn to<i> </i>look
for the Taxpayer and to care for her, you will be very skeptical toward all
philanthropic and humanitarian schemes. It is clear now that the interest of the Taxpayer and the interest of "the poor," "the weak," and the other petted
classes are in antagonism, In fact, the warning to you to look for the Taxpayer comes the minute that the orator or writer begins to talk about the poor
man. That minute the Taxpayer is in danger of a new assault, and if you
intend to meddle in the matter at all, then is the minute for you to look about
for her and to give her your aid. Hence, if you care for the Taxpayer, you
will be sure to be charged with not caring for the poor. Whatever you do for any
of the petted classes wastes capital. If you do anything for the Taxpayer,
you must secure her earnings and savings, that is, you legislate for the
security of capital and for its free employment; you must oppose fiat paper money,
wildcat banking laws and you must maintain the inviolability of
contracts. Hence you must be prepared to be told that you favor the capitalist
class, the enemy of the poor man.
<br />
<br />
What the Taxpayer really wants is true liberty. Most of her wrongs and
woes come from the fact that there are yet mixed together in our institutions
the old medieval theories of protection and personal dependence and the modern
theories of independence and individual liberty. The consequence is that the
people who are clever enough to get into positions of control, measure their own
rights by the paternal theory and their own duties by<i> </i>the theory of
independent liberty. It follows that the Taxpayer, who is hard at work at
home, has to pay both ways. Her rights are measured by the theory of liberty,
that is, she has only such as she can conquer. Her duties are measured by the
paternal theory, that is, she must discharge all which are laid upon her, as is
always the fortune of parents. <br />
<br />
People talk about the paternal theory of
government as if it were a very simple thing. Analyze it, however, and you see
that in every paternal relation there must be two parties, a parent and a child,
and when you speak metaphorically, it makes all the difference in the world who
is parent and who is child. Now, since we, the people, are the state, whenever
there is any work to be done or expense to be paid, and since the petted classes
and the criminals and the crony capitalists cost and do not pay, it is they who are in the
position of the child, and it is the Taxpayer who is the parent. What the
Taxpayer needs, therefore, is that we come to a clearer understanding of
liberty and to a more complete realization of it. Every step which we win in
liberty will set the Taxpayer free from some of her burdens and allow her
to use her powers for herself and for the commonwealth.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21wdyUxJjPhqk11EgHG0ZFpIfFMp61iNkzJ513a129IXsFrn2_g1CHg3z7BynmbeaRn5yC6vn2uz6GRKseITBgy6P3-sSZ0-Te2JtMT8YIC57NvLLFj6O4y3CEJsha47jB48jm3WfD98t/s1600/pitchfork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21wdyUxJjPhqk11EgHG0ZFpIfFMp61iNkzJ513a129IXsFrn2_g1CHg3z7BynmbeaRn5yC6vn2uz6GRKseITBgy6P3-sSZ0-Te2JtMT8YIC57NvLLFj6O4y3CEJsha47jB48jm3WfD98t/s320/pitchfork.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-15904104918239231532013-10-23T14:44:00.001-07:002013-10-23T14:44:33.356-07:00The Taxpayer delivers the ultimate sunset clauseThe Taxpayer believes in the ultimate sunset clause on the proposed Chesterfield County meals tax....<div><br></div><div>Vote NO on NOvember 5th...</div>chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-14068501695725948872013-10-19T10:33:00.001-07:002013-10-19T10:38:46.412-07:00The Meals Tax is a Woof in Astro's Costume - Vote NO on November 5th after the Halloween Masquerade ends...Two articles from the RTD this past week describe the funk with Chesterfield and their pension crisis. The first covers the <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/pension-figures-prove-accurate/article_57b47a06-2a5b-5024-ab0a-ddaec7d83459.html" target="_blank">$320,000,000</a> that the statewide pension fund must be paid back to the Virginia Retirement System over the next two years.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The state employee plan, with about $7.4 billion in unfunded liabilities, has a funded status of 65.1 percent. The teacher plan, with $15 billion in unfunded liabilities, has a funded status of 62.1 percent.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYf93yo8Erepl-4W33JU20z4KljMsQd4Hh1_lO47NJooNhVXJ5HqSLYrSLwgswibtQxI33bwyOhQNKfOpqvGY59uu3zSO0lYzJyh1HeAC1P-eHc0J1wetH_bgWBtagkPyUNZisPskg73mc/s1600/astro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYf93yo8Erepl-4W33JU20z4KljMsQd4Hh1_lO47NJooNhVXJ5HqSLYrSLwgswibtQxI33bwyOhQNKfOpqvGY59uu3zSO0lYzJyh1HeAC1P-eHc0J1wetH_bgWBtagkPyUNZisPskg73mc/s320/astro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Rut row meals tax advocates!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The state has underfunded VRS so much that they had to pass a law so they could partially fund it,” said Henrico County Manager John A. Vithoulkas, who expects a significant increase in the county’s share of teacher pensions.<br />
</blockquote>
Hi Henrico. We have not missed you. No more talk of a lockbox. No more bait and switch.<br />
<br />
And then the confirmation also from the <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/vrs-pension-underfunding-criticized/article_d6e628e2-dc37-51e7-bbc9-1f4530bb6439.html" target="_blank">RTD</a> that the pension funds are at the lowest funded level in over two decades!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Everyone likes to pretend these (public retirement) systems are in good shape when they’re not,” he said. “This system is not in good shape.”<br />
</blockquote>
Wait for it...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Local school divisions — and the governments that finance them — will pay an additional $244 million over two years if the legislature fulfills its promise to fund 80 percent of the required contribution to teacher pensions.<br />
</blockquote>
But it's for the children... Enter wolfie with 24% increases per year for each locality paying teacher pensions.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I don’t think the numbers are way out of line with what we’ve been looking at,” said Chesterfield County Administrator James J.L. Stegmaier.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zY4vKXT2QXDsp9QYfjytDNYBrwYCQyBp33X2NtkTcdB9wYEZifVZJoNindASGryXycHQM2lF5TqLrEG5bA8E2TEs0gVz0UTFsiDJVg6yow8ZBNNqdm6zGS4auJnAlupZqV-57SRj2OV3/s1600/fabian-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zY4vKXT2QXDsp9QYfjytDNYBrwYCQyBp33X2NtkTcdB9wYEZifVZJoNindASGryXycHQM2lF5TqLrEG5bA8E2TEs0gVz0UTFsiDJVg6yow8ZBNNqdm6zGS4auJnAlupZqV-57SRj2OV3/s320/fabian-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
How serious is it?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Gov. Bob McDonnell and the General Assembly deferred payment of $620 million to state employee and teacher pensions in 2011 and 2012 — an amount that exceeded $1 billion with deferred local contributions for teachers. </blockquote>
<br />
So you see... The meals tax is for pensions. The Taxpayer is for transparency and pension reform. Until then... the revolt continues because the Taxpayer knows...<br />
<br />
Vote NO on NOvember 5th.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwi3y4gxk7e4hZUJUR_X1LNnw1V_uz-cvcv8JBakiLWD_TIGbu6z1vEg7v6I6yZRV_0-p9O7CvSPtablJFMQSf6_cmFW90Hd2xqU8YW6XtFk-447RO19NTeGmGoyA4wmQI-HfrKIoTaje/s1600/mealstax.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwi3y4gxk7e4hZUJUR_X1LNnw1V_uz-cvcv8JBakiLWD_TIGbu6z1vEg7v6I6yZRV_0-p9O7CvSPtablJFMQSf6_cmFW90Hd2xqU8YW6XtFk-447RO19NTeGmGoyA4wmQI-HfrKIoTaje/s320/mealstax.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-41119924584337067772013-10-04T17:14:00.001-07:002013-10-04T18:32:29.133-07:00The Proposed Chesterfield Meals Tax is all about funding pensionsDespite talk from the chattering class, the proposed meals tax in Chesterfield County is really all about funding pensions. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrwQc1H9u0qDkbc85a3arEPnSfgV6aaF80XcVXC1q4tNjkru0_hGBRu6jME1Yb2MBHK9LSXcGOqY2XjLfOYJgAl5LEaSvGti9lcUl4ioQggRDgp9nSqddkAw_fcjepRkiheVks4UjtL2e/s1600/pensioner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrwQc1H9u0qDkbc85a3arEPnSfgV6aaF80XcVXC1q4tNjkru0_hGBRu6jME1Yb2MBHK9LSXcGOqY2XjLfOYJgAl5LEaSvGti9lcUl4ioQggRDgp9nSqddkAw_fcjepRkiheVks4UjtL2e/s320/pensioner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sure they like to talk about rundown schools and the need for new communication equipment; however, both elected officials and the County Budget folks have said that they can fund all of their needs through existing revenue streams. The only thing that changes is the timeframe. It Is the difference between 11 year program and a seven-year program. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The <a href="http://www.americanlegislator.org/new-study-shows-unfunded-pension-liability/" target="_blank">following article</a> further highlights the pension liability issues at the state level and supports our methodology of looking at the annual CAFR report. The last CAFR report shows that there is $645 million worth of unfunded liability at the local level. Add an additional $80 Billion at the State level and you will see the full "need" beyond schools and public safety.</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"></span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"></span></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It’s no secret that most state pension plans across the country are deep in the red. However, a study by the nonpartisan group <a href="http://www.statebudgetsolutions.org/"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">State Budget Solutions</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.statebudgetsolutions.org/publications/detail/promises-made-promises-broken-the-betrayal-of-pensioners-and-taxpayers"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Promises Made, Promises Broken: The Betrayal of Pensioners and Taxpayers</span></a><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">, reveals that defined-benefit public government pension plans face a cumulative $4.1 trillion funding gap. Moreover, the study shows that combined, state pension plans are only 39 percent funded. In order for states to keep their pension promises to retirees and taxpayers, reform is crucial.</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The Taxpayer wants two things:</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Pension Reform to limit the Taxpayer's exposure to unfunded liabilities</span></li>
<li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Budget transparency where the County and CCPS checkbook and budget tools are online and geared towards the Taxpayer asking questions and finding answers to things yet to be uncovered.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div>
</div>
</span><div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Until the Taxpayer sees progress, the protest continues... Vote NO in NOVEMBER</span><br />
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-65881633615132691582013-09-29T16:00:00.001-07:002013-09-29T16:00:14.822-07:00Loose lips sinking meals tax ships...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvm_N9zVSiqfuFHlE7CVgqysRdk9iXJFZrHefyIcxNHanJbdES7zpenCS8pLJqAEtvAuYuBqecSmjubtl1RzPzEu4s7bGGpUp1o80P41SnAY9Yp2n_JTBSqfK6SY-WowheXc5Si3OFuHH/s1600/IMG_2991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvm_N9zVSiqfuFHlE7CVgqysRdk9iXJFZrHefyIcxNHanJbdES7zpenCS8pLJqAEtvAuYuBqecSmjubtl1RzPzEu4s7bGGpUp1o80P41SnAY9Yp2n_JTBSqfK6SY-WowheXc5Si3OFuHH/s320/IMG_2991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Word is getting out... Chesterfest turn out was amazing and united against the proposed meals tax!<br />
<br />
Word of mouth says we will continue to eat meals tax free in Chesterfield come November 5th despite our betters telling us to vote FOR a NEW TAX... #smh<br />
<br />
It also looks like there has been a split in the pro debt (bond) folks and they have scrapped their tepid support for the meals tax to try and salvage their bonds.<br />
<br />
<strong>REMEMBER Vote NO in NOvember!</strong><br />
<br />
More exciting news is on the way... Including the new fight against a raise in our real estate rates without increased CCPS and Chesterfield government transparency.... For the third year straight of politely asking... <strong>Put the County Checkbook ONLINE! </strong><br />
<br />
Oh... ask this popular question to yourselves... how come ALL of those shiny branded organizations that are supporting new debt and taxes have not asked for more government transparency in exchange for their support? The Taxpayer shakes her head (and fist). A few weak kneed supporters have even ask for <strong>NEW government programs</strong> to fix the problem of taxing small business in a weak economy. Typical crony capitalism.<br />
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<br />chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-7263391781339127182013-09-12T18:42:00.002-07:002013-09-12T18:45:21.390-07:00Taxpayer Protest at Old Chesterfield Courthouse on Wednesday September 18th at 6PM...The Taxpayer is counting down to NOvember 5th... where we are looking from our polling numbers to have a clear defeat (of over 70%) of the proposed meals tax, where we send a message to the elected officials the following message...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Live within your means or lose your job!!"</blockquote>
<br />
The meals tax vote results will send a message so loud and clear that the Board of Supervisors will hear it next March when they try to RAISE your property tax for the NEXT crisis.<br />
<br />
YOU may ask the Taxpayer... "But what can I do? I am a Taxpayer too..."<br />
<br />
March with The Taxpayer on Wednesday September 18th at 6PM at the old courthouse...<br />
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<br />
We will drag out the proverbial "fat lady" on the old Courthouse steps who will be <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_pOf1QHDY" target="_blank">humming a familiar tune regarding the proposed restaurant owner death tax</a>. (The Taxpayer believes that no government should pick on one industry with a tax. This is clearly a case of the majority picking on a minority.)<br />
<br />
Make your plans. Bring a happy meal *Liberate the happy meal!!* and join the Taxpayer!<br />
<br />
Bring your signs and your pitchforks to the Old Chesterfield Courthouse to protest the proposed Meals Tax. We will have games for the kids... like tar and feather your taxers.... (It is for the kids afterall.)<br />
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<br />
Located at 10011 Iron Bridge Road on the Courthouse green, the old courthouse sits where the first colonial courthouse was once located. The Taxpayer will be there starting at 6PM...<br />
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-82683207077428552942013-09-04T14:15:00.001-07:002013-09-04T14:15:15.988-07:00Next up... Mr. Jim Bacon takes a stand for the TaxpayerContinuing the ramped up opposition to the meals tax, we have Mr. Jim Bacon, from <a href="http://www.baconsrebellion.com/" target="_blank">Bacon's Rebellion</a> (well worth a daily visit to see the latest take on Virginia and the region)...<br />
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<br />
Mr. Bacon's rebellion continues the Taxpayer protest and he outlines why in <a href="http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/a-la-carte/Content?oid=1946280" target="_blank">this week's Style Weekly</a>...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Residents of both Henrico and Chesterfield counties will have the dubious pleasure of voting on a meals tax referendum this fall. In the run-up to the election, voters of both jurisdictions will hear some of the same arguments. Other large, urbanized counties in Virginia have meals taxes, we will be told in an appeal to the idea that misery loves company. Also, we'll hear, a big chunk of the tax revenues will come from people who dine in Henrico and Chesterfield but don't live there. After all, taxes always go down smoother when someone else is paying them.<br />
</blockquote>
Mr Bacon indirectly spends most of the article praising the presence of the Chesterfield Taxpayer to move the potential pain level of new taxes from outrageous to out-of-sight. The reason that we are half as good as Henrico is that the elected officials and bureaucrats are only listening with one ear. <br />
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The Taxpayer will continue to turn it up and they might end up with our full attention when it is all said and done. Vote NO in NOvember in Chesterfield and Henrico! Repeal the meals tax in Richmond!! Listen because the Taxpayer knows... (and Jim Bacon does too!)<br />
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-14264529417682472892013-09-03T14:41:00.000-07:002013-09-03T14:41:02.116-07:00Chesterfield Taxpayer Award goes to Ms. Nancy ThomasThe Taxpayer is the first to recognize sound thought on issues that affect our purses...<br />
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Nancy Thomas is deserving of such recognition. Nancy Thomas is the president/CEO of the Retail Merchants Association, which represents retailers and related businesses and provides advocacy, education and networking for member companies. <em> </em><br />
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Listen closely elected officials and government farmers to her <a href="http://www.chesterfieldmonthly.com/in_their_words/taxing-meals" target="_blank">in her own words...</a> from the September edition of that great publication... <a href="http://www.chesterfieldmonthly.com/" target="_blank">Chesterfield Monthly</a>.<br />
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The proposed Chesterfield and Henrico tax on prepared foods <strong>places the retail, food and hospitality community at an economic disadvantage</strong>. The Retail Merchants Association has a long-standing policy to <strong>oppose industry specific taxes</strong> and suggests each locality consider alternative sources of revenue representing a broader range of the constituency rather than an individual business group. <strong>Why is one industry singled out to serve as tax collector for the locality?</strong><br />
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Check out how the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoLJLua1EhI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUTr7AwRFoeGnwWkYe8osDhA" target="_blank">Retail Merchants Association</a> can assist you and join today!<br />
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The Taxpayer is ready to roll to election day!!! More news coming soon!!<br />
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-63569564320424128552013-08-27T19:33:00.000-07:002013-08-27T19:33:21.799-07:00Dr. Robert Owens advocates for the Chesterfield Taxpayer...
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Though I may no longer be a Chesterfield resident, my heart
still skips a beat when I think of all my friends and companions in the
struggle to keep the county out of the comprehensive hands of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqK97av7I3s" target="_blank">tax man</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Why is there a need for greater and greater revenues?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why can’t we cut a little here and cut a
little there to fund any growth we need anywhere else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Is the County government really trying to say people aren’t
taxed enough already?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do we have a
fully staffed planning office; yet, when the county government wants a new plan
they have to call in outside experts to do a job most people don’t want done.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbQDyMZ06sS8drmSSH1ZkpKjQUe872CLjbtwXbK4pBlVrcJswp0jfLMF6pjPG8CNpCWQzt9muoafy0XhVAdm7p6cK2htvoCwyb3QJwrw5k3uoBSYrK-rK0krnn20LDWfK5ysRE68RXAz1/s1600/05loan-shark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbQDyMZ06sS8drmSSH1ZkpKjQUe872CLjbtwXbK4pBlVrcJswp0jfLMF6pjPG8CNpCWQzt9muoafy0XhVAdm7p6cK2htvoCwyb3QJwrw5k3uoBSYrK-rK0krnn20LDWfK5ysRE68RXAz1/s320/05loan-shark.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A meals tax will not enhance the competitive power of
Chesterfield restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bond issues
have to be repaid and it is always seems to be a mystery who gets to buy the
bonds and reap the interest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In a larger context, the national surge in Progressive power
is fast making us perpetually-watched wage slaves, who make enough to pay our
taxes, keep ourselves alive, and buy enough gas to get back to work to do it
again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In 2009, so many of us stood up and yelled, "We are Taxed Enough
Already".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we worked so hard
in 2010 to make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not
time now to fall back asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not
time to relax our vigilance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we do
not hold our elected officials accountable, if we do not demand that they show
us what is going on inside our government, then we will have no one to blame
besides ourselves for allowing the connected few to plunder the unmotivated
majority through higher taxes and growing debt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and
Religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is the Historian of the
Future @ </span><a href="http://drrobertowens.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">http://drrobertowens.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> © 2013
Robert R. Owens </span><a href="mailto:drrobertowens@hotmail.com"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">drrobertowens@hotmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Robert-Owens/144620956161?ref=sgm#!/pages/Dr-Robert-Owens/144620956161"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Dr.
Robert Owens</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-37043272098796898012013-08-22T13:43:00.002-07:002013-08-22T13:43:29.137-07:00Powerful Real Estate Lobby pushing Chesterfield Meals TaxSo the big realtors and their lobbyists want to roll over the small mom and pop restaurant owners who are barely making it. (The Taxpayer knows that the large corporate restaurant chains don't care and would love to see the successful smaller operation (ie competition) culled in Chesterfield).<br />
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Realtors turned lobbyists, like Laura Lafayette, think that it is <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/columnists-blogs/guest-columnists/lafayette-henrico-meals-tax-math-adds-up-to-a-yes/article_b3cd8310-8d64-5956-8905-3049b32dd777.html" target="_blank">morally okay for out-of-towners to pay for our schools</a> and threaten real estate hikes like "it's goin' outta style..." Threats do not work in Virginia politics and The Taxpayer is reminded of the adage that was made famous by Louisana Governor Long...<br />
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Don't tax you. Don't tax me. Tax that fellow behind the tree. <br />
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Unlike Mrs. Lafayette and her cronies, the Taxpayer believes in paying for things that they use. We just want the tools to keep an eye on things; but, alas the County continues to professionally stonewall transparency improvements that would make their case um... well transparent.<br />
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Back to speaking truth to power. The "powerful" real estate lobby is looking at improving their bottomlines recently in Chesterfield through the government tax structure (technically borderline fascism; but, we will save that for another day). They want a meals tax. They want to eliminate proffers. They want to maintain the property tax at their current levels. They also want things for the children. <br />
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These things are not unreasonable; but, they are slanted to target one type of business in Chesterfield and one activity NOW and get the next guy through another tax hike LATER. The Taxpayer would like to point out that obtuse Chesterfield County government will continue to employ the "AND" approach. Since these bureaucrats and elected officials could always use an additional buck and continue to sell the Taxpayer down the river for "FREE" federal dollars , they will continue to expand their waistlines. Chesterfield county government grew $14M more and now they are seeking $56M more in meals tax revenues over the next 7 years. Once they have the meals tax locked in January, they will seek an increase in the real estate tax rate in March because there is some new mandate or something unexpected like a PENSION CRISIS.<br />
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The Taxpayer will not be fooled. We will vote NO in NOvember. We will march again this Wednesday August 28th to increase Chesterfield County budget transparency.chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-54701865816386353112013-08-22T12:38:00.001-07:002013-08-22T12:38:29.111-07:00Taxpayer Protest at Old Chesterfield Courthouse on Wednesday August 28th at 6PM...Bring your signs and your pitchforks to the Old Chesterfield Courthouse to protest the proposed Meals Tax....<br />
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Located at 10011 Iron Bridge Road on the Courthouse green, the old courthouse sits where the first colonial courthouse was once located. The Taxpayer will be there starting at 6PM...<br />
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On April 24, 2013, under the leadership of Chair Dorothy Jaeckle, the BOS unanimously approved <a href="http://chesterfieldva.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=944&meta_id=95577" target="_blank">this meals tax resolution</a>. <br />
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On May 22, 2013... the Taxpayer began the fight to restore fiscal sanity to a Board that loosened their budget belt to consume $14 Million more of the Taxpayers' purse and they are <em>hungry</em> for more. Spread the word and join the fun this coming Wednesday August 28th at 6:00PM in front of the Board of Supervisors meeting.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The adopted April 24th resolution triggers a request to order the special election on November 5, 2013 to stick it to the Taxpayer. <br /><br />Unless it is defeated by the Taxpayer, the five Board of Supervisors would enact an ordinance for a new tax on the Taxpayer. That's right a $10 burger will be $0.20 more. A $50 meal will be $1.00 more. This hurts small businesses located in Chesterfield County. And when the burger buyer does not show up because they are mad... then the small business loses $10 or $50 or $100...<br /><br />The potential bounty would then be dedicated to fund school facilities and walkie talkies, (that's right "emergency communications" including but not limited to ADDITIONAL DEBT service expenses – THIS ADDITIONAL DEBT would far exceed the maximum revenue generated by a meals tax. <br /><br />The Taxpayer took a look behind the curtain and we believe we found one of the many reasons not to support this NEW TAX. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />The County has a significant problem that they are trying to solve; but they are not being up front about it. They have a growing pension funding line item that they plan to solve once the meals tax is in place. The Administrator, we will call him "J", knows that the meals tax for the children and the schools will be an easy sell...MUCH easier than a bond referendum to solve their pension problem (<a href="http://watchdog.org/82043/desperate-portsmouth-takes-on-more-debt-to-pay-off-debt/print/" target="_blank">just like Portsmouth did</a>)... When the meals tax generates an extra $8M in the budget, "J" will simply supplant that school directed funding from another source to solve their pension problems.<br />
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The Taxpayer has repeatedly requested more budget transparency from putting to the county's checkbook online to a searchable budget line item to insight from their internal communication. All have been met with professional denial and lawyers. <br />
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Therefore, the fight continues. Professional bureaucratic foot drags are not what the Taxpayers deserve. Open your books now. Give the Taxpayer the openess that the bureaucrats love to tout and purport through award certificates and shiny trophies. This protest is calling for the county to get real, step up, and be accountable to the Taxpayer. It really isn't a fair fight because the Taxpayer knows...</span>chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-73482650696791035502013-08-09T17:22:00.000-07:002013-08-09T17:22:11.846-07:00The Taxpayers' two cents...So the Propagandatour 2013 continues...<br />
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The prop makers would have you believe that it is just two pennies the Taxpayer is giving up using this graphic on their fancy website to convince you to raise your taxes...<br />
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But the Taxpayer is always willing to go the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZojpl-p_5A" target="_blank">extra mile</a>. <br />
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The expected revenue from just two cents on the dollar is $8 million or 800,000,000 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsD_pMxk6ik" target="_blank">pennies from</a> your purse per year.<br />
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That is enough to fill a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMr--Exe0cE" target="_blank">50-ton dump truck</a> 44 times per year.<br />
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If you give the meals tax just five years of life, it fills a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lksDISvCmNI" target="_blank">747 Cargo Plane</a>. (Keep in mind that the wingspan is 100 feet longer than Orville and Wilbur's first flight at Kitty Hawk.)<br />
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Give the Wright Brothers a happy meal and tell your elected leaders... "Don't tax me bro..."</div>
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Vote NO in NOvember on the meals tax. Do it for the children.</div>
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3945322525789871415.post-91430398961969972372013-07-30T18:43:00.000-07:002013-07-31T18:10:33.437-07:00Ring the bell... Chesterfield Propagandatour 2013 is here!Like a terrible dinosaur from <a href="http://saspellingbee.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/agitprop.png" target="_blank">agitprop theatre</a>, the Taxpayer saw with her own eyes the Propagandatour 2013... It was yellow and its belly was full of a terrible virulent version of the Taxupyourhikas... which is a carnivorous predator that devoured Taxpayers in pre-historic days...<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0gMkkCFLDW9OVM9N8PNmD_PwAPqftbkyhKKZzuNdKEmSzI7kS5P0EyLdZmevqyMHlutx6WpDZEhy97bM7X_8F-qW55KGpzbakqw7Jj_z-5Ckk-U_NEsUwOr107mV21OKzVU0Cz084tOS/s1600/propagandatour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0gMkkCFLDW9OVM9N8PNmD_PwAPqftbkyhKKZzuNdKEmSzI7kS5P0EyLdZmevqyMHlutx6WpDZEhy97bM7X_8F-qW55KGpzbakqw7Jj_z-5Ckk-U_NEsUwOr107mV21OKzVU0Cz084tOS/s320/propagandatour.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Propagandatour 2013</td></tr>
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So here is the first attempt to justify a meals tax using "useful idiots"... (with all due respect to idiots)<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ojXuJfJUplRelN5GGAE86uqd8G_UGZ9pBPJz83DhinkqemxZ0v-Muv9X4prTU7rpFgD_B-FcfYTe7RO5Xn8hohMA6UQKyeKEYqLd9GrmxUgSxGpatGvJAcxHlCdxCH5H0JRMf48cPrCb/s1600/chris-farley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ojXuJfJUplRelN5GGAE86uqd8G_UGZ9pBPJz83DhinkqemxZ0v-Muv9X4prTU7rpFgD_B-FcfYTe7RO5Xn8hohMA6UQKyeKEYqLd9GrmxUgSxGpatGvJAcxHlCdxCH5H0JRMf48cPrCb/s320/chris-farley.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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no... The Taxpayer means to "educate" and "inform"... <br>
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So Chesterfield is coming up with some <a href="http://www.nbc12.com/story/22935296/expect-county-push-to-answer-faq-on-meals-tax-bond-referendum" target="_blank">smooth talk</a> to woo the Taxpayer into snatching her purse...<br>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You may find informational flyers in your utility bills, posters in businesses with frequently asked questions, a web page, and even a Facebook post to learn more about the referendum. </blockquote>
As well as loading the Taxpayer up with <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/chesterfield/chesterfield-officials-ready-campaign-on-referendums/article_deabbc3e-76ce-57e4-baa8-e9b3de907cd6.html" target="_blank">the business</a>...<br>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
.... including “things like fact sheets, a website (and) speakers who will speak to various community groups,”</blockquote>
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And threatening the Taxpayer's purse with <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/chesterfield/chesterfield-ballot-meals-tax-fate-may-affect-real-estate-tax/article_5c78453b-f7d2-54ba-903e-72b66fc0caf8.html" target="_blank">Morton's fork</a>...<br>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The voters know if the bond referendum passes and the meals tax fails, the real estate tax would need to be raised to complete the school renovations and radio system in the planned time frame,” Jaeckle said in the email.</blockquote>
Who put the BS in BOS?<br>
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Well things will be "just fine". <br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7Go4wTA9VczxgsWLwB9pxRcWqzVzniKKx-B6KJAClHqTGNqP6MtwnMdduV31HmSmPQxH0kH57NQRJe-eLEtN-cfYY7FXy_3KszkRe_iYn_mN7Z9SaCMxcZ4nxLCbvnJ_xLV-2kDgpZAl/s1600/Beaver74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7Go4wTA9VczxgsWLwB9pxRcWqzVzniKKx-B6KJAClHqTGNqP6MtwnMdduV31HmSmPQxH0kH57NQRJe-eLEtN-cfYY7FXy_3KszkRe_iYn_mN7Z9SaCMxcZ4nxLCbvnJ_xLV-2kDgpZAl/s320/Beaver74.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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Just like in <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/henrico/henrico-launches-meals-tax-website/article_bb3c7cb2-a8d3-537d-badb-22220e430290.html" target="_blank">Henrico County</a> ...<br>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The website was designed by the West Cary Group advertising agency, which is also hosting the site at a total cost of <strong>$20,250</strong>, according to county officials. The content was prepared by Henrico officials in the county manager’s office, and the departments of finance and public relations.</blockquote>
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Well Henrico Taxpayers time to get out the scissors and cut cut cut... start with the bloat in the Department of Propaganda... Give your rookie administrator a shave whilst you are there.</div>
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“If we make a turn, if we make a turn now, then as a county I believe we can miss that fiscal iceberg that’s out there,” Vithoulkas says.</blockquote>
Wow this sounds like Leonardo is on the bow again!! How exhilarating! <br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINpL8VkFiUervPAjz4YwqCV9R_t-iGLzL7y6DsXRIVcH9Sv2WgEorGBxMALQ20jvX_Z3dxELa1VJTcC-oBrOWtYGrs8R1oshbI5GkF5h5_hjbhox10tJk2n_X6dhROz1-4jB31wkTkccs/s1600/leo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINpL8VkFiUervPAjz4YwqCV9R_t-iGLzL7y6DsXRIVcH9Sv2WgEorGBxMALQ20jvX_Z3dxELa1VJTcC-oBrOWtYGrs8R1oshbI5GkF5h5_hjbhox10tJk2n_X6dhROz1-4jB31wkTkccs/s320/leo.jpg" width="256"></a></div>
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PUT A SOCK IN IT!! Before this propaganda causes a ruckus... oops wait... too late...<br>
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<a href="http://www.baconsrebellion.com/2013/07/county-paid-propaganda-citizens-want-answers.html" target="_blank">County Paid Propaganda? Citizens Want Answers!</a><br>
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<a href="http://www.baconsrebellion.com/2013/07/if-it-looks-like-a-skunk-and-smells-like-a-skunk.html" target="_blank">If It Looks Like a Skunk and Smells Like a Skunk…</a><br>
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<a href="http://bearingdrift.com/2013/07/29/taxpayer-financed-propaganda/" target="_blank">Taxpayer financed propaganda</a><br>
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A regular thermonuclear meltdown headed for Chesterfield County... <br>
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It is a case of amateur hour striking midnight and the meals tax is about to turn into a pumpkin.<br>
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It makes the Taxpayer want to protest... How about August 28th at 6PM? We will circle our calendar. And we will vote NO in NOvember for the children.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38LXBlsPSGljDz7pK9_2r-hakREgbwE8BLGTYOx8oFCQTZt3PEUBd_asd7E-Bi0We6zWmqnl9OylnAfrZAqJYjDvwCN3og7JJ9SWwpMMzWEsIZ7wKEYYIOJSsMeynyBmunoNFZQhrePiq/s1600/4818901046_49a8f6b1f3_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38LXBlsPSGljDz7pK9_2r-hakREgbwE8BLGTYOx8oFCQTZt3PEUBd_asd7E-Bi0We6zWmqnl9OylnAfrZAqJYjDvwCN3og7JJ9SWwpMMzWEsIZ7wKEYYIOJSsMeynyBmunoNFZQhrePiq/s320/4818901046_49a8f6b1f3_o.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
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chesterfieldtaxpayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136296000667276772noreply@blogger.com7