Submitted by Brian Raabe
In his recent letter BET Chair Fisher (FISHER: There is not much new under the sun. June 1, 2025) waves about a 5-year-old Greenwich Time article like he found a pirate map. Look! Look! It says here (5 years ago), “the school district and the school board did not have time to review programs for efficiencies but it needs to be done.”
He entitles his editorial, “not much new under the sun.”
True. The search for efficiencies is nothing new. Whether 5 years ago or now. Regardless of department.
Did the BET search for efficiencies in a town budget that includes $8 million in overtime pay, $8 million for temp help, $6 million for software rental, and nearly $2 million for holiday services? Those numbers suggest opportunities for efficiencies. And how.
At the same time Chair Fisher states, “responsible budgeting needs to be forced on the current BOE, and that is all that Republicans have called for.”
While proclaiming he is wielding the budget axe of forced responsibility, he calls the cuts “in the neighborhood of 2.0%.”
That 2.0% (or $4.0 million) – given the lack of fat in the budget – has meant staff firings and an early start time to save on bussing costs.
So you have not accomplished anything big budget wise with your 2.0% cut Chair Fisher – you can’t claim the mantle of Forced Cost Saver extraordinaire on 2.0% – but you have wrecked some folks with collective decades of service to the town and you have spit in the face of the science that led us to all to agree (7 years ago) a later start time was good for kids.
You have accomplished nothing good on the budget, or for schools here.
So stop the chortling over ancient newspaper texts and blaming Democrats for budget issues in a town run nearly stem to stern by the Republican Party. It’s a ruse in response to voter anger over this budget.
You and the BET should have searched for efficiencies in the big numbers before running over kids. You should have had the broader house in order (see numbers above) versus going after those without agency. It’s unbecoming.
RTM, repeating the request for a July special meeting to reverse the damage done by Chair Fisher and the Republican BET.
That would truly be something new under the sun.
Brian Raabe