The Edison Board of Education, aka Board of Mythomania, Board of EDems, Board of Hoarders, Board of Silence and now self-described as Board of Dysfunction, has sent down to the County Super for approval a 2018-19 School Budget that raises the Local Tax Levy by 5.66%.
Yup.. that's right - a whopping 5.66% increase! Oh.. wait, I forgot, they didn't tell you, did they? No matter, they just need the County Super's approval on the school budget- not yours!
Aren't you glad now that you can't vote on these Bloated Pots of Money they call School Budgets anymore?
Anyhoo, don't forget to give them all a big taxpayer thank you the next time you see them around.
Looks like the Board of Mythomania can't play nice together. And to think this Board unanimously voted in the Leadership of Shi & Moroney!?!
So, while they went at each other, recognize that three arguable mistakes were made:
1. Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley gets by with with a tie vote to accept his resignation with one board member missing (so it fails).
2. He gets a $10k bonus for accomplishing only one of his three goals, and
3. That $251.9 million Bloated Pot of Money they call a school budget with an outrageous increase in the Local Tax Levy goes to the County Super for approval.
To summarize the vote on whether Señor O'Malley should stay:
But hey, it was nice to see Dr. Frank again - he was questioning rumors to dismiss the Super, the BA, the Insurance Broker, the Auditor and the Insurance Agent, questioning the appointment of the new attorney and with all the changes being considered - he's concerned about potential for fraud, corruption, kickbacks and pay to play etc.
He's concerned these things could happen when the Board is taken over by a 5-4 majority and the 4 in the minority are shut-out. Wow!
Guess he forgets that all Edison Boards play the 5-4 Game - Dickinson used it to bring in DiMuzio to replace an ousted Toth and he told Maeroff that when he had 5 votes, he could do what he wants and when he had the 5 votes - he did, Maeroff used it to bring in Señor O'Malley to replace an ousted DiMuzio, Iyer used it to keep him with a Safe-Haven Contract after he was out publicly interviewing for a new gig and he himself used it just to name a few.
It's a Game of 5 - always has been and always will be.
Finally, he wants us to read Edison resident and CPA Joe Petrucelli's book on Fraud. Kudos Joe, you got a plug at the Board of Mythomania action meeting.
And then it was nice to see Ms. Melissa Perilstein, currently part of Mayor Tom 'Now 15.4% but Won't Debate' ChoiLankey's administration - but you remember her from her time on Jun Choi's Council, and certainly you remember that 'reformer', affectionately known as Jun 'rforme' Choi.
Seems she's concerned about keeping Señor O'Malley for the sake of continuity with all the changes going on and dealing with the Overcrowding. Of course, I don't quite remember her taking exception to the lack of continuity with all the changes Choi and his Council made when they had the majority when he took over. For that matter, the same holds true for Señor Lankey.
So, while I respect her right to make her case for Señor 'Malley, maybe it's wasn't the strongest or best argument she could of made to support keeping Señor O'Malley.
And finally, nice to see Margot Harris (not that it matters but I actually like her) - you remember her, a Former Board member and Former Vice-President of the EDO. She apparently has some strong opinions about Jerry Shi that don't exactly fall into the Hugs & Kisses category. Well, Welcome to the club Margot but that was interesting to watch. But honestly, don't know how her thoughts about Jerry Shi do anything but make you realize we should of never moved the BoE election to November.
Anyhoo, 'Jerry Shi shut me out' 'this board is dysfunctional' - surely, the only person finding any of this Board banter in any way beneficial has to be Señor O'Malley. Sad!
You can't tell from this agenda what the 2018-19 Preliminary School budget will mean to you - but it's there. They just don't show you what that page means to your pocketbook.
If you look on page 35 of 39 of tonight's Board of Mythomania's Action Meeting, you'll find the page below. This is the what they're saying they need to budget for the 2018-19 School Year and what they're sending down to the County Super for approval.
Another in a long line of Bloated Pots of Money they call school budgets. And this one is particularly disturbing with the amount of increases to the Local Tax Levy.
From this page, you can determine what the tax rate will be for the 2018-19 School Year.
This one has $pending at a whopping $251.9 million, which is up a whopping $13.7 million or 5.76% over last year's $238.2 million.
Of course, even more disconcerting and unbelievable is the Local tax Levy which is $224.6 million or some $12.0 million or 5.66% up over last year's $212.6 million. Really now, give us a break.
And it throws into the reserves another $1.6 million from the undesignated surplus.
Now, when you convert these numbers to a calendar year basis - you're School Tax Rate is $3.060 per 100, which is up 8.2-cents or 2.77% over last year's $2.978. If you live in that imaginary home assessed at $178,300, then your tax bill will be $5,456 (178,300/100 x $3.060), which is up $147.00 over last year.
If you don't live in that imaginary home you can just take your home's assessed value and divide it by 100 and multiply that number by $3.060 or just enter your assessed value into the calculator below and you'll get total school tax, and the change from last year broken down by $pending and Ratables.
Anyhoo, you really need to pay attention to how they're $pending your tax dollars over there on Mythomania Lane.
Well, just saw the agenda for Monday's meeting and Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley's resignation is listed, effective June 30, 2019 when his current contract runs out. Take it then that he has submitted his formal resignation to the Edison Board of Education.
Also, there's a $10,141.00 bonus for Señor O'Malley that 'the Board has determined that Dr. O'Malley has satisfied merit criteria for his work during the 2017-18 school year, warranting the payment of a merit bonus.'
This one is a little puzzling to me. Of course, the resolution only shows you the performance criteria that he has met to receive a bonus but not all the bonus criteria that he was eligible for a bonus.
According to the Board's approved District Goals for 2017-18, there were three District Goals. One was quantitative, the one he is receiving the bonus for, and two were qualitative for which he apparently did not meet. The two he didn't receive a bonus for had to do with Overcrowding and Improving Communication with the Edison Schools community.
You can see these Board Goals and Merit Bonus award below:
Now, the way these thingies usually work over there on Mythomania Lane, there can be up to three quantitative and two qualitative goals and the quantitative goals can go up to 3.33% of annual base salary and the qualitative goals up to 2.5% of annual base salary.
According to Señor O'Malley's contract, he is eligible for a merit bonus up to 12% of his annual base salary. Even if you take the Max 12%, that would make him eligible for a max bonus of $25,481 ($212,344 x 12%).
However, his current contract doesn't specify what the actual percentage (up to 12%) the Board has used or any breakdown percentages for either the quantitative or qualitative goals.
In this case, there is only 1 quantitative goal and two qualitative goals. Given he only achieved one of the three Board Goals for 2017-18, how is it possible that he receives a bonus of $10,141.00? The $10,141.00 on his base salary of $212,344.00 comes to roughly 4.8%. No single quantitative goal is worth 4.8%.
So, don't understand how they came up with this number for a merit bonus for Señor O'Malley for 2017-18 since it seems to me that the max he should be getting is around $7,000.
Now, don't get me wrong. They can give him anything they want up to $25,481 but it's kind of hard to believe that when he achieves only one of three Board Goals that the Board would place a $10,141.00 value on that one goal, which far exceeds the usual allowable percentage methodology.
Anyhoo, what do I know, I still can't figure out how they come up with these sophomoric Board Goals anyway.
Just watched last night's Edison Board of Education, aka Board of EDems, Board of Mythomania, Board of Hoarders, Board of Silence caucus meeting.
Whether you support Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley or not (and I'm clearly not), this is getting a tad bit bizarre even for the new satellite branch of the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison over there on Mythomania Lane.
What is going on with Super O'Malley? He seems to continue to resign his position (at the end of his current contract in 2019, of course) as Edison Superintendent of Schools in the local papers. As such, once that got out, you would expect his supporters would come out and support him and ask what's going on and why is he leaving.
And so they did last night, which is all well and good. Everybody's opinion is important and should be heard. Even saw two former Board of Education Members go up to the microphone and speak on his behalf.
Here's last night's meeting:
So, let me see if I got this right though. You have a Super of Schools whose contract hasn't even come up for a vote yet but goes to the papers and announces his resignation, effective 16 months down the road - at the end of his current contract in 2019.
Really, of course you'd want an employee to give at least a couple of weeks notice when they resign but 16 months?!? But I digress, so lets move on
Okay, seems he must think he doesn't have the necessary board votes to get another contract or just doesn't want to be here anymore, I guess. Surely, he's been out there looking for another gig for a long time now. So, he makes his announcement in the local papers but what does that really mean?
Did he really resign his position?
Seems to me that the only place he can go to actually resign his position is the Edison Board of Education.
So, you gotta ask yourself - did he actually resign by submitting his resignation to the Edison Board of Education or not?
I don't know but sure seems like an important question to ask - so I sent an email today to Board President Jerry 'Lankey's Team' Shi asking if Super O'Malley had officially submitted his resignation to the board as yet.
Now, since Señor Shi has already indicated in the past that he 'does not care what I think' - not too sure he'll take the time and answer my query. Oh, poor me..I'm starting to think he doesn't like me!
But hey, if he does respond - I'll certainly share his answer with you.
Anyhoo, maybe it's me but if you live in this town - this is getting a tad bit embarrassing to watch play out in the local papers. Time for the board to take action and resolve this matter one way or another with Super O'Malley. This is the board that was elected to deal with Señor O'Malley's contract - so deal with it.
why Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley actually went to the newspapers to publicly resign his well-paying position over there on Mythomania Lane:
10. so you'd say please stay
9. so you'd say please, please stay
8. so you'd say please, please, please stay
7. so you'd say lease, please, please, please stay
6. so you'd say please, please, please, please, please stay
5. so you'd say please, please, please, please, please, please stay
4. so you'd say please, please, please, please, please, please, please stay
3. so you'd say please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please stay
2. so you'd say please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please stay
1. so you'd say please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please stay
Saw this update piece here in MYCENTRALJERSEY.COM - 'Edison schools chief to focus on security in final year of contract.'
I'm glad to see that Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley will be focusing on one major issue during the next 16 months (as he prepares to step down from his position) - school security.
Now, I'm all for security in our schools and we should do everything possible to make sure our schools are safe. Yup, it will cost some more money but sometimes there are things you just have to do, in spite of the cost.
So, I would support any reasonable and well-thought out plan that the board comes up, whether it be staffing, building improvements or a combination of both.
As for the rest of Señor O'Malley's take on Señor O'Malley's tenure in this piece - seems it's best if you take anything with numbers with a grain of salt.
In all fairness, he does deserve some credit during his 'past nine years in Edison' which started with a contract signed in November 2010 with a start date on or before February 7, 2011. By O'Malley's math, those past seven years are rounded to nine years - but who is counting!?!
As for his summary of his performance over the past whatever years, here's his actual numbers:
And let's not forget about all that hoarded tax-payer relief money and reserves they used to increase $pending over the years with these bloated pots of money they call school budgets. If we ever went to zero-based budgeting in this district, we'd have school-tax rate reduction that would be a true eye-opener.
As for all those building improvements they made without any bonding - ever hear of lease-purchase agreements that are used to finance these type things - it's a way around getting voter approval for capital additions.
As for James Monroe, what about the $`1.5 million in penalties we had to pay because we didn't finish on time. And remember, this was paid for with $23 million in insurance - but you do have to wonder whey they went out and asked the public for a referendum with a cost of $28 million.
You can see more on this thingies in previous posts in this blog.
Let's hope Señor O'Malley is successful in his lame-duck year - as long as he stays away from any numbers.
And let's not forget to give the Board of Mythomania a Big Thank You for putting us in this dilemma in the first place with Señor O'Malley and you really gotta give a Big Shout-out to Senor O'Malley on this move. Nicely done.
Anyhoo, good to know that we have the choice to pay off someone's contract or keep them around after they resigned for up to another 16 months.
Saw this piece here in MYCENTRALJERSEY.COM about Edison's zero tolerance on school threats.
Reported in this piece is Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley's 'plan to resign from the district in June 2019 at the end of his current contract.'
Anyhoo, let's hope he doesn't lock us into anything long-term on his way out the door. As they say, here's your hat, what's your hurry?
