As we countdown the final hours of 2015 and tack-up new calendars for 2016, many are busy planning budgets for the 2017 fiscal year.
I know–you can barely contain your excitement for this event. You’re anticipating the months-long process like it’s Christmas, your birthday, and a visit from the tooth fairy all in one! Ok, well, maybe it’s more like a trip to the dentist–for a root canal.
Either way, the Cecil County budget awaits and it must be planned, debated, argued, and approved.
I started blogging about budgets almost two years ago because our schools were having to beg, plead, and grovel for funding. Our students and, by extension, our communities were suffering.
You wanted parents to get involved–here we are!
Last year’s budget season went differently. Education supporters packed meetings and flooded the email boxes of Cecil County officials, contributing to the Cecil County Council’s decision to make very few changes to the school system’s budget. The schools finally received funding to start healing some of the damage caused by 7 years of reduced funding.
Alas, this year will be different
They say “Two steps forward, one step back,” and that will most likely be the case with this budget season. County Executive Tari Moore’s decision to not seek re-election will undoubtedly factor into the budget negotiations this year. Last year, she courageously presented a budget to the county council that included increased funding for education and an actual plan for making needed capital improvements.
With the added drama of a primary election for county executive in April, those of us who support adequate public education funding must continue to make our voices heard.
The Budget Process
- The Board of Education will spend the month of January preparing a budget that will be submitted to Cecil County Executive Tari Moore in mid-February.
- At the end of March, the County Executive submits a proposed countywide budget to the County Council.
- During April and May, the Board of Education will make a budget presentation to the Cecil County Council and a public hearing will be held with everything culminating in a County Council vote on the budget at the beginning of June.
Actions You Can Take to Support Education Funding
- Complete the CCPS Parent Budget Survey
- Attend the County Executive’s Town Hall Meeting on January 12
- Email the County Executive and members of the County Council
To make it easier, you can just copy these email addresses and paste them into an email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
| County Executive | Tari Moore | |
| County Council | Alan McCarthy | District 1 |
| Joyce Bowlsbey | District 2 | |
| Dan Schneckenburger | District 3 | |
| George Patchell | District 4 | |
| Robert Hodge | District 5 |