Commentary: A concerned tax payer has a few questions... - Lee's Summit Tribune - Lee's Summit News
Commentary: A concerned tax payer has a few questions... - Lee's Summit Tribune - Lee's Summit News
This is just part of the article. Please read the whole thing at the link below.
Isn’t that why we are paying an exorbitant amount to the superintendent? To ensure proper oversight of our tax dollars? To ensure our teachers and our children get the maximum benefit from our hard earned money? Who really is getting the benefit from our tax dollars? I dare any accountant to submit the type of budget the district uses to report its expenditures and money management. The budgets I have seen are largely propaganda touting how wonderful the district is with generic line items on a few pages that pass for accountability. Compare the district budget to the City of Lee’s Summit budget if you want to see what a budget of very similar size should look like.
In addition, why did we spend millions of more dollars on CNG buses when clean diesel buses that use existing facilities and maintenance procedures were available. It is pretty strange to read two separate quotes by individuals employed by the CNG bus manufacturer that they were surprised the sale was completed as creatively as it was done. So creative in fact that the CNG fueling station couldn’t be used as constructed to sell CNG to one of the largest users of CNG in the area. Something about company regulations not allowing trucks with trailers to back out after fueling. So much for that added revenue to pay for much needed infrastructure in the district. In fact, no formal cost justification was performed on this multi-million dollar project. The additional millions paid for the CNG buses could have simply been applied to the budget to pay directly for that infrastructure. Of course, this is just one high dollar project. Let’s ask for detailed facts about all of them.
At least one more question should be asked at this time. How does the money flow thru the Lee’s Summit Schools Assistance Corporation? It seems that this “not-for-profit” corporation handles major purchases for the district and then leases items such as land for the CNG fueling station back to the district. Oddly enough, the board is made up many of the same people that sit on the R7 Board. The LSSAC states in its incorporation paperwork specifically Article VI paragraph (d) “To permit no part of the net earnings of the Corporation to inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its Directors, officers or other private persons…except… to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered…”. Does this raise red flags for anyone other than myself?
Perhaps it is time to ask for accountability of our elected officials. And our board appointed superintendent. Let’s take a close look at interlocking boards, no bid contracts and where the money actually goes.
This is just part of the article. Please read the whole thing at the link below.
Isn’t that why we are paying an exorbitant amount to the superintendent? To ensure proper oversight of our tax dollars? To ensure our teachers and our children get the maximum benefit from our hard earned money? Who really is getting the benefit from our tax dollars? I dare any accountant to submit the type of budget the district uses to report its expenditures and money management. The budgets I have seen are largely propaganda touting how wonderful the district is with generic line items on a few pages that pass for accountability. Compare the district budget to the City of Lee’s Summit budget if you want to see what a budget of very similar size should look like.
In addition, why did we spend millions of more dollars on CNG buses when clean diesel buses that use existing facilities and maintenance procedures were available. It is pretty strange to read two separate quotes by individuals employed by the CNG bus manufacturer that they were surprised the sale was completed as creatively as it was done. So creative in fact that the CNG fueling station couldn’t be used as constructed to sell CNG to one of the largest users of CNG in the area. Something about company regulations not allowing trucks with trailers to back out after fueling. So much for that added revenue to pay for much needed infrastructure in the district. In fact, no formal cost justification was performed on this multi-million dollar project. The additional millions paid for the CNG buses could have simply been applied to the budget to pay directly for that infrastructure. Of course, this is just one high dollar project. Let’s ask for detailed facts about all of them.
At least one more question should be asked at this time. How does the money flow thru the Lee’s Summit Schools Assistance Corporation? It seems that this “not-for-profit” corporation handles major purchases for the district and then leases items such as land for the CNG fueling station back to the district. Oddly enough, the board is made up many of the same people that sit on the R7 Board. The LSSAC states in its incorporation paperwork specifically Article VI paragraph (d) “To permit no part of the net earnings of the Corporation to inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its Directors, officers or other private persons…except… to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered…”. Does this raise red flags for anyone other than myself?
Perhaps it is time to ask for accountability of our elected officials. And our board appointed superintendent. Let’s take a close look at interlocking boards, no bid contracts and where the money actually goes.
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