To the editor:

The committee on appropriations has rendered itself irrelevant. 

Really, why spend 4 months going over ad nauseum, line by line, come up with a total, and then, after all that work, pick a random number you think people will like. Why don’t you just skip the boring meetings and throw a dart at a board filled with random numbers!

Of course it isn’t funny. The COA is the only check and balance the town has against a school budget that escalates ever upward. The cards are all stacked in the schools' favor, but when the committee can’t stand behind itself, it is no longer a check and balance. This is bad for Barrington and not what the charter had in mind when it was designed.

I do not understand how anyone goes from zero to $800,000 with no new information. It means that the previous four months were just wasted hours. The sad truth is the COA really doesn’t fully understand the school budget. Because it is designed not be understood. It is not them; the school budget is really hard to follow.

My last year on the COA they asked for $1.7 million, and got only a million? They still had a $600,000 surplus. "cut" $700,000, and still a surplus? 

They will tell you that a $1.3 million swing is a result of good management, (sometimes even with a straight face). I will tell you that can only happen when you ask for more than you need.

And did you notice that after they got $800,000 this year, they don’t tell you what programs they are going to reinstate? Why do you suppose they don’t just say OK, we heard you, sports are back and list the classes that are safe. Why not put people’s minds to rest?

First, and I cannot stress this enough, because they did not need the money in the first place. But more important: To fill the room! To win the vote! Don’t you get it? The schools own you now. Anytime they want (not need) more money, they will play the sports card. There is still $400,000 to be had and they want the extra $400,000 for new projects.

Remember, the only reason that they postponed the later start times was they were afraid that angry sports voters would come out this year, angry at the inconvenience to sports and vote no to everything. This year was a once in a generation chance to reset the paradigm, to put some brakes on the spending. Now that they got the money for the budget and the money for the middle school, you can bet all the money in your pockets that Barrington will soon get later start times. If anyone tries to cut the budget next year to stop it, they will just threaten sports. They will vote the start times back in as soon as they can vote on it when they think no one is looking.

Just one other false fact that was bantered about is our tax rate. It is true that our tax rate is lower than many towns. However our residential taxes per capita are the highest in the state. A combination of low state aid, no commercial base and we still pay quite a bit for education. The actual dollars per person here is higher. Just a fact lost in all the yelling. You don’t pay for schools with rates, you pay with dollars. And Barrington residents pay more of their tax dollars than any other town.

Joel Hellmann

Barrington