Letters to the Editor

Memo to School Board

The following was written to the Rye City School Board and forwarded to us by the author for publication.

Dear Editor,

I have to wonder if you had the opportunity to review  — and authorize the publication of — the FOCUS on Excellence Special Budget and Election Edition mailed to residents last month. I, as a voter, would very much appreciate from you or from the author(s) a clarification and possibly a correction of numerous statements and/or tables. Many even seem to conflict with budget data and/or common sense, and are most surprising in a brochure that claims to be “informational” rather than “promotional”.

I submit that many FOCUS or budget items, all mostly in the Board’s control or “purview”, defy “prudent financial restraint and cost containment”, and are also selectively presented in FOCUS as listed below:

-Uncommonly high increases in already very high administrators’ compensation;

-Staff additions (budgeted or off-budget) well beyond the tapering enrollment needs;

-Class sizes well below the policy range; all allowed by huge standard conservative accounting (S.C.A.) margins initially created to feed unbudgeted Osborn lawsuit costs or reserve;

-Funding Milton’s second gym mostly from budget funds rather than via a less costly bond;

-Complex accounting used in that funding, in fungible S.C.A. Margins or Osborn reserve;

-Errors and omissions in presenting an alternate budget (“Contingent” or “Essential”);

-Emphasizing an “estimated” tax rate increase of 4.99% below our “peer group” vs. 8.5% on actual appropriations well above our “peer group”, and a falsely lower cost per pupil.

Respectfully,

Bertrand de Frondeville

Editor’s Note: The complete text of this letter is available online at ryerecord.com.

If Not This Year, Then Lower Golf Club Rates Next Year for Rye Seniors

Dear Editor,

The senior Rye citizens who attended the monthly meeting of the Rye Golf Club Commission May 23 were told there will be no lower golf or pool rate for seniors this season. The current commission has done nothing of a favorable nature to respond to Councilman Mack Cunningham’s proposal of a “senior” day rate for 2007. It appears it is simply too difficult to deal with in the club budget.

There was some agreement to study a possible senior rate in the 2008 budget to be submitted in August. I urge interested seniors to follow this process for the next several months.

Once again, both Rye seniors and the Golf Club Commission must remember that in 1964 the property was bought by the City of Rye for the benefit and enjoyment of all Rye citizens and their guests.

The club now has an expense budget of over $6,000,000, including $2,800,000 for Whitby Castle. It is important to note that, as club development progressed for 43 years, non-resident memberships also progressed; non-residents account for approximately one-third of the total, according to club management.

We must expect that operation of Whitby Castle this season will be profitable and satisfy the expense. It must not in any way deny senior citizens of Rye the privilege of enjoying the golf course and the pool in 2008 at a lower rate than currently charged.

This Golf Club Commission can bring fairness for Rye seniors in their 2008 budget.

Very truly yours,

John G. Carolin