School district vote on Van Detta capital improvement project today

I have a hard time voting to increase my taxes to meet an annual amount that is about equal (maybe less) than the current salary of the principal who was removed from Batavia High under a vote of no confidence, but still draws a salary from the administration office.

To the best of my knowledge, she was given a position that would not have been filled otherwise. That is over $100k/year, plus benefits. Seems like that would have easily covered the stadium upgrades, without needing to raise taxes.

No way They are crazy

That step up and step down into the lockerroom I remember being very difficult back when we played! What a joke! You might have wanted to script your little video out a bit better if you are going to win votes. If that video changed anybody's mind, that person shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Hey Jason , The video changed my mind . I now will vote no . The locker rooms look like what many districts would only dream of having . I herd of no real issues with anything but upgrades . They really tried to persuade you with title IX and handicap issues . The stadium is Grandfathered in ,so none of this is needed but yet wanted to pull the wool over your eyes to get fake grass that needs to replaced at future cost to the taxpayer .

There will be a lot of kids trying to get their parents to vote yes, so if you don't want the higher taxes, you have to get out and vote (or get out your wallet and pay).

Have you had enough of the over spending and lack of needed cuts in the right places as I am ?

THEN EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET OUT AND VOTE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Vote from 12-9PM Today.

Place: Polling places are Jackson, Batavia Middle School, and Robert Morris.

I say again...what about the project that was completed approximately 10 years ago? You know, the one that included improving the field drainage and installed the current track? That was supposed to address all the issues that are being cited as issues that need to be addressed now.
NO ONE...and I mean **NO ONE** from the district has even MENTIONED that project and it's relative proximity to today's date.
Was it a case of poor execution? If so, did anyone pursue accountability for the firm(s) that executed that project?

NOTHING from the district on that score. Why?? Because they want the taxpayers to forget the fact that project ever happened. Forget the fact that whatever $$ were spent on that project apparently were poured down a rat hole.

Something smells about that deal and the smell pervades this project as well. I mean seriously...do you need handicapped bathroom facilities in a locker room for athletes? I don't mean to sound insensitive, but that one kind of defies explanation.

IMO, they could make the public bathrooms handicapped accessible and it would be a reasonable expense. But if this passes, you KNOW what will come up next year or the year after that...parking. Parking at the stadium is terrible, yet they want to spend 3.9 million and not address that? Nope, send this project back to the drawing board.

Ahhh, didn't see that. Guess I had some 3.9 million dollars in my eyes. Then just fix the bathrooms, that should be good enough for now. If they don't have some 240 events, they won't need the parking spaces right away.

Dave ,A little insight on why the first project at the stadium ten years ago is forgotten about. Number one the contractor that messed it up misserably went bankrupt. Second, The owners of the construction company was a realative of J.J.(buildings and grounds superintendant). Third , four yeaRS AGO 65,000 DOLLARS were spent to correct the problem of the wet field(under the radar) . The field is now a good field and they want to rip it out . Pet project is what it is . I voted no because every ten tears this is going to cost 1 million dollars to replace . More injuries , more future costs , more maintenance while we are reducing staff and student enrollment is down . Eliminate some admin. jobs and I would consider it .

Thomas,
Why is it with the school district there always seems to be a relative involved somehow?

John , Funny isn't it . We need to stop voting in the same board members year after year . PB would be good start .

The problem with this board and administration is that they always want to do things on a grand scale. That's why we have an overbuilt infrastructure in times of declining enrollments.
Now they want to spend nearly $4 million on yet another grand project. And of course they want to drop the hammer before the state budget comes out which in all likelyhood will require a tax increase in addition to the tax increase that this project will require.

This taxpayer isn't buying it.

i for one voted "YES" if an increase in my taxes is ever going to be justified then it will be for a project like this that goes directly in to the comunity and will benefit thousands of student athletes. From what i am reading the increase would be about $6 a year!

Still two hours left to vote.

I know one man who has decided to run and has his petition sheets.

Phil,
No, he's not. I know him and he is one of those guys who does email and a bit of Google, but not much more. However, his daughter in-law is a regular reader and she is going to get him on after he gets the 100 signatures he needs to run.

Not sure since he just decided to run. This Van Detta proposal got him interested. I am sure that after his petitions are turned in, he'll let us know more.

Thanks to all of you for your comments. I posted a blog entry at the end of last week as well as sent the letter, which was published last night. I was very interested to read Mr. Mooney's comments today. We will soon see what the results are, and hopefully the school administration will see that we are fed up.