A Question … or Two
A simple Question, but not a question I could get answered at an Atlantic Highlands Council meeting; Hey, I was not even allowed to ask it.
But I do have to wonder…..Why does the Atlantic Highlands Council and its attorney say it’s OK to ask a question, any question, any day, all day long at the borough office, but one cannot ask a question of the entire elected governing body at a public meeting?
That’s what was so evident at last night’s meeting, when several questions were asked and the response was: the public portion of the meeting is for the public to give opinions and make comments.
But not ask any questions.
That prompted the question…how can you make statements and give opinions if you don’t have all the facts to make statements and give opinions on?
That did not get answered either.
All that falderol prompted a question from another resident: if you cannot ask questions, when we ask them here about regionalization, why do you tell us to go ask the boards of education?
That question did not get answered either.
Yet we are invited to go to borough hall Monday through Friday when the offices are open to ask all we want.
Magic?
So what’s the magic of daylight questions? Do the answers change at night? Do the council members not know the answers? Maybe the answers change if you ask them in private in sunlight hours from answers if the same questions are asked in front of others in the dark of night?
It is enough to make you wonder.
Regionalization
It’s also amazing how busy so many professionals are. Regionalization of the schools has been an issue for about four years now on an active basis. Sea Bright, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands had a study done with financial figures included, called the Porzio report. Then the school district had another one done by Kean University, also with financial figures. The Porzio report was updated, but Atlantic Highlands bowed out of it.
Financial Consultant
Then a few months ago, Atlantic Highlands hired its own financial consultant. That’s the one who is going to be in the mediation between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, their attorneys and a few others, but no school representatives. As it should be. The money issues are strictly taxpayer issues, not school issues. And the town should have kept the school superintendent out of it from the very beginning. But they did not. Now, apparently, with this mediation, neither the boards of education nor the superintendent will be involved. Money matters are definitely municipal matters since it’s ALL the taxpayers who end up paying the bill, whether they have kids in the schools or not.
A Vote?
So now, after all this time, the school boards are hoping to have the issue with their figures and ideas set up for a vote in September, if possible. Why they are so anxious to have the taxpayers foot the bill for a special election two months before the regular election has never been explained. But then, why bother explaining? It’s the taxpayers who ultimately pay the extra expense of a special election.
If the upcoming mediation works out, the election on whether we can be a district of schools educating kids from two or three towns will be decided in the regular November election, a win for the taxpayers. But there’s another glitch here.
Too Busy
The mediator, professionals and council members could not squeeze in a single date throughout half of February or most of March to have their mediation. They did manage to find time on the penultimate day of March to have a mediation. That’s March 30. Hurray for that, it’s long overdue and should have come up a lot sooner.
But here’s the kicker on that one as well. The attorney said last night she did not know whether it could all be accomplished in time for either a September or November vote. She just didn’t know.
It was downright scary to hear the attorney further explain what the mediation is going to be about when she said. “I don’t have the numbers.”
All this time? All this money? The concerns expressed by the taxpayers? All this talk about getting together and talking? And she doesn’t have the numbers?
What is going to be mediated?
Haven’t asked the hard questions yet. How much all of this has cost taxpayers? How much has been accomplished so far? What specific figures are being used to conduct the mediation.
At this point, shouldn’t those involved in the mediation have them?
That questions did not get answered either.
