The Common Council and the Schoolyard Bullies – Um – The School Committee

The Common Council met on Wednesday, November 3, and on the calendar was the request from the School Department that the City Council approve a transfer of $540,000 to cover unpaid bills from fiscal year 2004. This matter had been laid over from the October 18 meeting because members of the School Committee who had been requested to attend failed to appear (see previous post of October 21 – Common Council Seeks Answers). Such was not the case at the November 3 meeting, where members of the School Committee, school principals, teacher and central administration employees, including Assistant Superintendent Anthony Malione, Associate Superintendent Richard Wallace, and Administrative Assistant Peter Dolan, packed the Council Chambers.

However, prior to the transfer request being addressed, Ward 3 Councilman Stephen Stat Smith dropped a bomb of sorts when he brought up a controversial piece of business, which he had placed under suspension, asking City Solicitor Robert Jordan to provide an update to the Council on the status of the indictments against Superintendent Forestiere and Maintenance Manager Lona DeFeo. When the Councilor began asking about the nature of the indictment, and for further information regarding the court status of the charges, the buzz in the room was palpable and the members of the School Committee and School Department were clearly agitated by the line of questioning. After a muffled discussion amongst themselves, School Committee Chairman David Ela rose from his chair and motioned for all to leave the room. As they made a show of parading out, one attendee ran over to the TV cameraman that the School Committee had brought and instructed him to pack up his equipment and leave the chambers as well. As a side note, one could wonder why the School Department would go to the expense of bringing their own camera person when ECTV tapes all government meetings and willingly provides copies to all who request them.

When Councilman Smith completed his questioning of the City Solicitor, the request for the $540,000 transfer came before the Council. While the order to cover the overspending initially failed to obtain the required 2/3 vote, a motion for reconsideration passed and the matter was once again brought before the Council. Peter Dolan, Administrative Assistant, appeared before the Council to face their questions (questions which were initially to be presented to School Committee Chairman Ela, who was standing in the hall outside of the Chambers, incensed at Councilman Smith’s mention of the pending indictments against the Superintendent and Mrs. DeFeo, and refusing to appear). Before the questioning began, Mr. Dolan made it clear that he and those who had left the room felt that the previous piece of business had been out of line and asked for an apology from the Council. Receiving none, Mr. Dolan attempted to make a reasonable argument for a favorable vote to cover the overspending from FY’04. Dr. Wallace also took a turn at providing a reasonable explanation. The real turning point, however, was the appearance by Mayor Ragucci, who explained that the bills had to be paid, and that by using the reserve account for the school department health insurance incentive, the city council would be saving the taxpayer any further burden. Ward Five Councilwoman Catherine Gover expressed deep concerns about the School Committee’s inability to reign in spending, claiming that they were on track to overspend again, by virtue of some very significant raises, as well as the nine Central Administration clerical staff that the school committee had never budgeted. Although Councilwoman Gover claimed it was a “pay now or pay later situation”, given the current track the school committee was on, the vote for the order to cover the overspending passed overwhelmingly, with only two nay votes and one abstention.


One observational aside . . . there are some troubling aspects to the behavior of the School Committee and School Department representatives that evening. While some may question Councilman Smith’s motive for requesting an update on the School Department’s legal troubles, the question is not unreasonable, and the School Department’s “righteous indignation” seems a disproportionate reaction to the situation, given that a week has not recently passed when the Superintendent of Schools and the School Committee has not attempted to vilify Councilman Smith, and now Councilwoman Catherine Gover, in the local press and at their own School Committee meetings. The latest volley from the School Administration is to accuse Mrs. Gover of criminal negligence because she continues to do what she was elected to do – look out for the taxpayers of the City and make people accountable for how they spend taxpayer dollars. It seems that the Schoolyard Bullies – oops – the School Committee can dish it out, but turn screaming with indignation when the mirror is held up to their own faces. It is the height of hypocrisy and another example of their belief that the rules apply to everyone but them.