Board flip-flops on Social Security; millage increase remains the same

The Lincoln County Board of Education revoked its decision to offer Social Security to its employees at a called meeting held Thursday, June 12.

The purpose of the meeting was to consider the adoption of the Tentative FY 2009 Budget.

At the request of a group of teachers, the board voted on June 3 to authorize School Superintendent Randall Edmunds to file a Letter of Intent for Request for a Referendum for Social Security.

The motion was made by Gail Remsen and seconded by Robert Hearst, with board members Wayne Williford and Becky Reed opposing the motion. Dr. Robert Williams, chairman of the board, broke the tie by voting in favor of reinstating Social Security.

The board agreed that the program would go into effect on January 1, 2009, following an employee referendum.

Also during the meeting, the board reviewed a copy of the Tentative FY 2009 Budget, proposed by Dr. Edmunds and Comptroller Kaye Bufford.

The budget, which did not include Social Security, called for a millage rate increase of an approximately two mills. It was estimated that to fund 100-percent participation in Social Security for half of FY 2009 would cost the system $207,965.

One mill of tax represents $382,056.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the board asked Edmunds and Bufford to make cuts in the budget as well as factor in the cost of Social Security, resulting in a millage-rate increase not to exceed two mills of tax.

The second draft of a Tentative FY 2009 Budget was presented to the board last Thursday.

According to Comptroller Bufford, revisions to the budget included the addition of Social Security ($207,9650) and $10,000 for interior painting at LCMS as well as $69,932 in salaries and benefits. "We cannot pay one of our teachers using Title II funds anymore, so this expenditure will have to come out of the General Fund."

Among the school improvement projects cut from the budget were: replacement of the roof at LCMS ($275,000); the construction of a sidewalk from the agriculture building to the main building at LCMS ($4,000); the purchase of new shelving and tables for the LCES Media Center ($12,478); and carpet replacement at the middle school ($6,000).

In addition, funding for new band instruments was reduced by $9,812.

"The changes will serve to increase the Fund Balance from $823,396, as originally proposed, to $874,205," noted the comptroller.

In his comments, Williford said, "If we go up two mills this year, what about next year?"

"I don't know," answered Bufford, "There's no way of knowing what the state and federal governments will do."

She went on to say that she would like the board to raise the millage rate by three mills and put the middle school roof back in the budget. "This would give us a cushion. Also, the millage rate will be there so we won't have to go up again next year."

The board then discussed the costs associated with the construction of the new high school off of Metasville Road.

Williford said he is scared. "We have been told that the funding is there for the new school, but I don't know if it really is. I don't think there's any way possible to build a school for the estimates we have now."

Superintendent Edmunds pointed out that contractors are looking for work, which is driving the bidding down.

In her comments, Becky Reed said, "We will also need a lot of employees, who are not covered by the state, for the new school."

Although nutrition and transportation costs should remain about the same, the system will have to hire another media specialist.

"My problem with the whole budget is that I am not comfortable asking taxpayers to fund Social Security with the economy the way it is," Reed continued. "Even if the increase is only $20 per household, some people can't afford it. I am not against Social Security, but I can't go with the budget if it has Social Security in it, due to the economy."

"Next year, it will be the same," stated Gail Remsen. "I don't see the economy getting any better."

"We could have put Social Security in the budget, but not offered it for three years," Reed said. "I think we should do zero this year, go up three or four mills next year, and be done with it. This would give people a whole year to start saving money.

"It should have been a gradual process, going into it. I'm against the taxpayers shouldering the whole burden for something that took 35 years to happen."

"The taxpayers were not paying for Social Security all those years," countered Remsen.

She went on to add, "I prefer the rate increase to be set at two mills. Personally, I think the supplement increases (totaling $66,894) should come out. The teachers are getting a 2.5-percent raise - we don't need to increase supplements."

Discussion then turned to the need for a new roof at LCMS.

"If the board raises the budget three mills, LCMS can get the roof fixed," said Ficklen Guin, assistant superintendent for transportation and nutrition. "Buckets of water are coming in.

"People will fuss just as loud over two mills as three. They've been fussing about taxes all the way back to Genesis. We're paying less than anywhere else."

"We probably have less money than anyone else," remarked Robert Hearst.

"We should have fixed the roof before Social Security - this prob- lem has been going on for nine years," said Reed.

In other discussion, Williford noted that the housing boom which the county has been predicting is 10 years down the road.

"Since that isn't happening, I have a problem asking the taxpayers for that much money," said Hearst.

At this point in the meeting, Remsen said, "I feel as if we're fussing over Social Security, when we've already voted on it."

Reed reiterated her position: "I believe in Social Security, but we don't have the money to pay for it. I think we need to implement it over a certain period of time."

Williford stated that he is not against Social Security either. "I just think it's the wrong time."

Hearst then mentioned rescinding the vote on Social Security, saying, "After seeing all of these figures, I think it's too much."

"Put the roof off, but don't mess with Social Security," said Assistant Superintendent Guin. "We've corrected a terrible mistake that was made years ago, when it was decided to opt out of Social Security to avoid raising taxes .5 mills."

Following further discussion, Remsen made a motion to approve a budget in which the $66,894 for supplement increases was added to the Fund Balance. The budget included Social Security and would raise taxes an estimated two mills.

Her motion failed for lack of a second.

Hearst then revisited the subject of rescinding the board's previous vote on Social Security, and Williford made a motion to postpone reinstating Social Security, with the provision that the matter is brought back up for discussion during the board's annual planning session in January or February of next year.

Hearst, Williford, and Reed voted in favor of the motion, with Remsen and Chairman Williams voting in the negative.

"This is a terrible thing to do to people who are not here to defend themselves," said Remsen.

Speaking from the floor, Jacquelyn Johnson, news editor for The Lincoln Journal, said, "This isn't fair. At the last meeting, you voted in good faith to reinstate Social Security. Now, you're changing your mind with no one here."

Johnson was the only individual from the public sector present at the meeting.

Now, with the focus shifting to a budget without Social Security, the board talked about putting the middle school roof back in, while continuing to cut out supplement increases for teachers, which would leave the millage rate increase at two mills.

Addressing the board, Brian Campbell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, asked the group if it would be willing to fund $33,000 in supplement increases for teachers.

At this point, Remsen said, "I can't fund a budget without Social Security. I'm out of the budget discussions."

Chairman Williams then asked if the board wanted to include some form of supplement increase for teachers in the budget.

His question was met with silence.

At the conclusion of the discussion, Williford made a motion to approve the Tentative FY 2009 Budget, with the removal of Social Security and increases in teacher supplements and the addition of a new roof for LCMS. The millage rate is expected to increase by two mills.

The motion passed on a 3-2 vote, with Williams and Remsen voting against the budget.

In other business, Assistant Superintendent Campbell reviewed CRCT (Criterion Referenced Competency Tests) and Georgia High School Graduation Test results with the board.

The meeting was recessed until Thursday, June 26, at 7 p.m., when the Final FY 2009 Budget will be considered for adoption.