When Cecil County Executive Tari Moore announced her proposed budget for FY 2016, we cleared the first hurdle in the race to secure adequate funding for public education in the next fiscal year and beyond.
But the race is far from won and our work is not done.
Now the budget is in the hands of the Cecil County Council
The county council is currently holding meetings with the different agencies in the county to learn more about their plans and budgetary needs for the coming year. After those meetings, the council will hold a public hearing on the budget on May 12 before voting on the budget at the June 2 meeting. link to the budget hearing schedule
Based on the county charter, the county council can not add to the budget proposed by Ms. Moore but it can cut the budget.
Our next task: same as the last–keep up the pressure & keep telling our story
Between today and the June 2 vote, we need to continue to remind the members of the county council about the positive results our schools have produced as well as the many needs of the system. We need to impress upon them that we will continue to fight for appropriate funding for education once the budget for FY 2016 is approved.
And we, as a group, need to remain just as persistent and active as those who spend most of the year railing against our schools without ever educating themselves on the topic. While they continue to rant about the makes of the cars people drive or the “bloat” that they cry about but never identify, or parrot rhetoric from organizations outside our county, we need to continue to tell the story of the positive influences the schools have been in our communities and families.
Every voice counts!
We may not all be public speakers or able to attend county council meetings but we can each contribute to the cause by contacting our elected officials, writing letters to the local newspapers, or finding some other way to tell our story.
Here’s a letter you can use:
Send to these email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: I support the CCPS budget
As you consider the Cecil County budget for FY 2016, I encourage you to show the same courage and vision County Executive Tari Moore exhibited when she presented the proposed budget.
Our county is suffering because we have been willing to accept the status quo for too long. Fiscal restraint has become a barrier to growth and prosperity and the current situation is not sustainable.
When the economy crashed a few years ago, Cecil County Public Schools took several for the team. They cut staff and found ways to save money like installing a solar field and pilot testing 4 day work weeks during summer months in order to save on energy costs. Now it is time to work in cooperation with the school system to build a reasonable plan for meeting the needs of our schools and addressing their aging facilities.
Please approve the education budget as proposed.
Respectfully,
[your name]
