Resident asks school board about tax money 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

DuBOIS - A resident of the DuBois Area School District addressed the board Wednesday regarding spending.
"I wanted y'all to know I paid my federal income taxes two weeks ago," said David Singer of Treasure Lake. "In doing that, I certainly looked into all of the taxes I paid for my property taxes, and you're getting two-thirds of what I pay in property taxes goes to y'all," Singer said. "I'm really asking you to take a good faith effort to make sure you spend my money appropriately."
Singer said one of the difficulties he has is his lack of ability, as a taxpayer, to have a direct and open conversation with the board.
In his comments, Singer referenced a field trip, which was approved Wednesday, allowing the pool director and the pool director's administrative assistant to accompany nine students to Splash Lagoon in Erie April 1 for a Lifeguarding Club field trip. Noted in the agenda is that the Lifeguarding Club is paying all the expenses of the trip, except for a substitute for one day.
"I'd like to know. Why is this important?" Singer asked. "As a taxpayer, I don't mind paying for basic instruction, or advanced instruction, but I don't particularly enjoy paying for recreational activities when I can't afford it."
As the school looks into future budgets, Singer recommended the board set up a schedule to open the budget up to public discussion.
"I'd like to know, for example, what your thinking is, at this point, on what are we going to do when the 2012 prices come with the increase payments to retirees," Singer asked. "This is a subject I don't hear a lot of discussion about."
Singer said when he has questions about how his tax dollars are spent at the library, the fire department, the township, and at the county level -those boards or officials are open to sitting down and answering his questions.
"I live in Treasure Lake, everyone laughs about Treasure Lake, about how dysfunctional the management is. I just came from a meeting at Treasure Lake, a budget meeting- a comparison of this year's funding, next year's funding, an explanation as to why those increases," Singer said.
When Singer has a question for the district, he doesn't feel he can go directly to the board and ask. Instead, he has to write a letter and "I probably won't get a response," Singer said. "I'm suggesting to you that you start to open this place up for business, with the citizenry, with the freight payers, so we can have some good public discussion and accountability."
Singer received no comment from the board.
---
Reported by Katie Weidenboerner, staff writer. Email: katiew@thecourierexpress.com.