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The Putnam Valley Central School District will be having a vote Dec. 8 to approve a referendum to establish a capital reserve fund, designated for “Buildings and Facilities Improvement Reserve Fund,” in order to pay the cost of construction of additions for future improvements to, reconstruction of and equipping of school district buildings at an ultimate amount of $10 million, the source of funding to be surplus dollars when it closes its books every June 30.
What this means is the surplus money not spent in each year’s budget will go into this reserve fund rather than be applied to reduce the following year’s budget, thus eliminating the possibility of a tax reduction or a reduced budget going forward.
The school is going to hold a special vote Dec. 8 with limited hours from 3-9 p.m. unlike the normal 15 hours. While this is a very important issue, the school would like the taxpayers to vote by limiting the hours and having this vote during the busiest time of the year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. What do you think the turn out will be, 200-300? It is not fair to the 11,000 residents that only a few will decide this.
The request and suggestion to Superintendent Fran Wills to include this referendum in November 2016, where the voter turnout will be a true representation of the residents of Putnam Valley, was answered with "out of the question." A compromise suggestion and request made to postpone this vote until May also was rejected.
So come Dec. 8 from 3-9 p.m. (six hours), a limited amount of voters (200-300?) will decide the fate for 11,000 residents of Putnam Valley. This should be voted down. Vote no, sending a message to the school that an important issue such as this should be presented to the residents in November 2016 or at the very least May 2016 during the school budget vote where a better representation of the public will decide.
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