School Board on Levy Vote
Board Chair Phoebe Nichols
Another first for the Pentagon, a rule book!
Growing
backbone, understanding the rules of the road and making good
change, that takes time. Each inch forward, that's a welcome
change. Since three new Boardsters joined the School Board
July 1st, we're seeing those first baby steps to success.
For this July 25th meeting, there were 8 or 10 in the peanut gallery including two ousted Boardsters, Cheryl White and Morgy Triplett. Not sure what their presence meant but the curiosity is, where was the third defeated Boardster, Dave Mullins.
Like, for the rest of the world, Robert's Rules of Order, is the official guideline for holding legal and speedy public meetings. You don't have to follow the book, but if you don't, you end up down the road. For the first time EVER, Bd Chair Nichols carried in a Robert's Rule Book and placed it on the conference table up front. Our guess, Nichols has been reading the rule book.
5 minutes into the meeting, the Board went into secret time.
Since this was only the second meeting of the new and improved Board, we have some guesses on topics discussed behind closed doors. The newbies had to get first hand answers. One of the real questions might have been: Superintendent Paxton, are you really the subject of a criminal investigation relating to the Jan 29th Excess Levy Election?
It's our understanding, investigators contacted Paxton three months ago and back then, the old Board was told (in secret time) Yelp and ditto for Ms Paxton. It's also out understanding, on July 21st, Pretty Boy Paxton was again contacted by Sec of State's office about the criminal probe.
Since that was on the 21st, and this meeting was on the 25th, in four days, surely the new Board would have heard those rumors and they wanted answers.
Or they could have asked the guy if he had amended his ways when it comes to arm twisting and job threats.
That secret time lasted 40 minutes. Afterwards there was no mention of any decisions made.
Those itty bitty steps we mentioned in the opening. Ms Nichols asked about how substitute workers are called out.
The biggy for the Pentagon leadership was to get the Excess Levy on track for the Nov General Election ballot. That in itself is a big change and in a good way. For the last 2 decades, those levy votes were held in Jan in hopes that some big snow and or icy roads would keep most away from a deciding vote. It worked too. Few showed up to vote.
With a rule change mandated by the Legislature, Excess (that means waaaay too much) Levy votes can only be held during a regular general election in November. That change insures a much larger turnout at the polls.
With th three new women to deal with, Paxton opened up a bit and explained the importance of a levy and what that means for the kids. He kept talking... that's quite a change from his dealings with the old Board.
Boardster Brooke Jones asked about changes in what the Levy would cover if it passes.
It was obvious, Paxton wanted the Board to go ahead and vote to hold the election. But, those pesky newcomers kept asking questions and showing concerns. She questioned how much community support was in Clayberry.
Long time Boardster Dave Pierson explained, the "call" for a Levy was identical to what had been used in past years. Sue Bodkins went on a rant over public perception on items like throwing good school materials into dumpsters.
In Joe's thinking sphere, he advanced, maybe this time, they should pay for billboards and run commercials and maybe social media. Sure sounded like, Paxton did not understand what happened during that last vote.
Phoebe Nichols did. She told the world, "Voters gave a gut punch!" She added that the Levy has a bad reputation now.
Still in the clouds, Paxton surmised, voters were already peed over property taxes going up 10%.
Seeing Boardsters offering suggestions and criticism, here's the mouth full from the top dog, Mercedes Paxton: If the Board isn't 100% behind it, we're wasting our time!"
Instead of being caught off guard from his comments, Phoebe Nichols: What will we be doing different this time??"
Consensus from the new Board, tell the public how the excess dollars were spent during the last five years. They were saying, keep the people informed, be transparent.
Ahhhhhh, how refreshing!
One lady in the back of the peanut gallery blurted out: Will the kids feel threatening, that the kids won't get to eat?
Stepping up to the plate, Dave Pierson responding to the lady's comment, Pierson, That's our fault, we should have taken that line off... our $20 million budget overwhelms people. Pierson was making sense and those at the meeting knew it. Translation arm twisting backfired... the old Board was asleep at the wheel and lost a big one
One guy in the back suggested, instead of a five year levy, shortened its length to 2 years. He was saying, after confidence is rebuilt, then try the 5 year levy. "People might be more comfortable with that."
As Paxton tried to push harder to get the Levy buttoned down, Chair Nichols made public other problems she wanted fixed. Like, the school website being horribly out of date, hard to follow and the school policy section is unreadable.
Gulp!
The call for a excess levy election will be discussed and voted on during the next meeting, August 8th.
This was an eyebrow raising meeting. Lots of good discussion. In many peoples' minds, the only way to get the Excess Levy initiative to pass , get rid of Joe Paxton. Not sure if that's in the works but a sure way to kill a snake is to cut off its head.
From Theodore Roosevelt: The most successful politicians is he who says what the people are thinking most often and says it the most loudest.
AW
For this July 25th meeting, there were 8 or 10 in the peanut gallery including two ousted Boardsters, Cheryl White and Morgy Triplett. Not sure what their presence meant but the curiosity is, where was the third defeated Boardster, Dave Mullins.
Like, for the rest of the world, Robert's Rules of Order, is the official guideline for holding legal and speedy public meetings. You don't have to follow the book, but if you don't, you end up down the road. For the first time EVER, Bd Chair Nichols carried in a Robert's Rule Book and placed it on the conference table up front. Our guess, Nichols has been reading the rule book.
5 minutes into the meeting, the Board went into secret time.
Since this was only the second meeting of the new and improved Board, we have some guesses on topics discussed behind closed doors. The newbies had to get first hand answers. One of the real questions might have been: Superintendent Paxton, are you really the subject of a criminal investigation relating to the Jan 29th Excess Levy Election?
It's our understanding, investigators contacted Paxton three months ago and back then, the old Board was told (in secret time) Yelp and ditto for Ms Paxton. It's also out understanding, on July 21st, Pretty Boy Paxton was again contacted by Sec of State's office about the criminal probe.
Since that was on the 21st, and this meeting was on the 25th, in four days, surely the new Board would have heard those rumors and they wanted answers.
Or they could have asked the guy if he had amended his ways when it comes to arm twisting and job threats.
That secret time lasted 40 minutes. Afterwards there was no mention of any decisions made.
Those itty bitty steps we mentioned in the opening. Ms Nichols asked about how substitute workers are called out.
The biggy for the Pentagon leadership was to get the Excess Levy on track for the Nov General Election ballot. That in itself is a big change and in a good way. For the last 2 decades, those levy votes were held in Jan in hopes that some big snow and or icy roads would keep most away from a deciding vote. It worked too. Few showed up to vote.
With a rule change mandated by the Legislature, Excess (that means waaaay too much) Levy votes can only be held during a regular general election in November. That change insures a much larger turnout at the polls.
With th three new women to deal with, Paxton opened up a bit and explained the importance of a levy and what that means for the kids. He kept talking... that's quite a change from his dealings with the old Board.
Boardster Brooke Jones asked about changes in what the Levy would cover if it passes.
It was obvious, Paxton wanted the Board to go ahead and vote to hold the election. But, those pesky newcomers kept asking questions and showing concerns. She questioned how much community support was in Clayberry.
Long time Boardster Dave Pierson explained, the "call" for a Levy was identical to what had been used in past years. Sue Bodkins went on a rant over public perception on items like throwing good school materials into dumpsters.
In Joe's thinking sphere, he advanced, maybe this time, they should pay for billboards and run commercials and maybe social media. Sure sounded like, Paxton did not understand what happened during that last vote.
Phoebe Nichols did. She told the world, "Voters gave a gut punch!" She added that the Levy has a bad reputation now.
Still in the clouds, Paxton surmised, voters were already peed over property taxes going up 10%.
Seeing Boardsters offering suggestions and criticism, here's the mouth full from the top dog, Mercedes Paxton: If the Board isn't 100% behind it, we're wasting our time!"
Instead of being caught off guard from his comments, Phoebe Nichols: What will we be doing different this time??"
Consensus from the new Board, tell the public how the excess dollars were spent during the last five years. They were saying, keep the people informed, be transparent.
Ahhhhhh, how refreshing!
One lady in the back of the peanut gallery blurted out: Will the kids feel threatening, that the kids won't get to eat?
Stepping up to the plate, Dave Pierson responding to the lady's comment, Pierson, That's our fault, we should have taken that line off... our $20 million budget overwhelms people. Pierson was making sense and those at the meeting knew it. Translation arm twisting backfired... the old Board was asleep at the wheel and lost a big one
One guy in the back suggested, instead of a five year levy, shortened its length to 2 years. He was saying, after confidence is rebuilt, then try the 5 year levy. "People might be more comfortable with that."
As Paxton tried to push harder to get the Levy buttoned down, Chair Nichols made public other problems she wanted fixed. Like, the school website being horribly out of date, hard to follow and the school policy section is unreadable.
Gulp!
The call for a excess levy election will be discussed and voted on during the next meeting, August 8th.
This was an eyebrow raising meeting. Lots of good discussion. In many peoples' minds, the only way to get the Excess Levy initiative to pass , get rid of Joe Paxton. Not sure if that's in the works but a sure way to kill a snake is to cut off its head.
From Theodore Roosevelt: The most successful politicians is he who says what the people are thinking most often and says it the most loudest.
AW