Brandeburg vs. Miller – Lake County School Board District 2
Impact Fees and Local Preferences
Today’s newsletter ends our question-and-answer portion of the forum. Next week, we’ll publish each candidate’s closing statement. Today’s topics are impact fees and local preferences. Each candidate will also listing their major accomplishments.
Forum Questions and Answers Part 3
Q: Did you vote to suspend school impact fees in 2011?
Rosanne Brandeburg
Yes I supported suspending school impact fees.
Jim Miller
Yes. Our economy is struggling and I can’t imagine that we will need a new school anytime in the next 5 years. A $10,292 school impact fee is a burden to people trying to buy a new home. I think they are the worst way to pay for infrastructure – schools, water, sewer, roads, etc. Adding to our doc stamps on all real estate transactions would be fairer, providing a more predictable cash flow.
Q: What is your position on school impact fees?
Rosanne Brandeburg
School impact fees must only be charged at a specified rate when it is the only way the district can build funds for future building needs to serve that growth. The decision is best made with the facts and understanding of the needs of the community and of the population. With all of the studies and facts the school board can then make a recommendation.
Jim Miller
Impact fees were a wonderful way to raise revenue during the boom years. We took in over $100,000,000 and were able to pay cash for Gray Middle, Lake Minneola High, and Sorrento Elementary. However they inhibit the growth we need to pull out of the recession. Because of the recession, our annual ad valorem revenues have plummeted, and the sooner the economy gets going, the sooner they go back up, which will help us better provide for our schools.
Q: Do you believe the last impact fee study by Henderson, Young & Company was accurate and was the $93,100 expense justifiable?
Rosanne Brandeburg
We are required by county ordinance to do an impact fee study every three years. In tough economic times we will need annual updates. The board should use the study plus other information to recommend a fee to the county. I favor the lowest fee necessary and in difficult economic times like these, may favor even less.
Jim Miller
Yes and yes. It was put out to bid. By law we have to justify our impact fees every three years. I was not on the Board when they were hired.
Q: What specifically have you done to encourage the Lake County School District to purchase locally?
Rosanne Brandeburg
I supported the Local Vendor Preference Advisory Committee to review the policies and make recommendations. I have always asked if bids were received from local vendors, and that consideration is given if there is a tie. I also support the Purchasing Department to provide orientations and trainings to encourage local vendors to bid.
Jim Miller
The entire Board is for buying local and it appears we are finally making the changes necessary to allow locals to better compete for bids. Per our COO, John Davis: “We have worked with purchasing to develop contractor-subcontractor communications to provide local firms the information on how to provide bids to the district and to our CM firms for construction. We are reviewing our selection processes and attempting to remove any barriers to local firm participation. This is an ongoing process that we are still improving.”
Q: Do you believe the Lake County School District should have a local participation program?
Rosanne Brandeburg
I support local vendors to participate in the bidding process.
Jim Miller
I know our Board is for local participation whenever possible. Per our COO, John Davis: “As you are aware it is hard to define ‘local’. The district has had a committee look into our purchasing practices and their final report did not recommend any changes. Orange County Schools just enacted a “local purchasing policy” which defined the Central Florida counties as local. I support local participation, which helps keep the tax payers’ money in Lake County.”
Q: What are your major accomplishments on the school board?
Rosanne Brandeburg
From the time I first joined the school board promoting transparency and fiscal responsibility have been two major issues for me. I recommended to the school board construction contract reviews on the three new schools while serving on the Audit Committee and language changes were made which also resulted in a savings to the district. I worked with the CFO in designing a Budget Summary so the board can track the budget and added expenditures throughout the fiscal year. I am an advocate for students and I spend a lot of time in my schools, and I continue to advocate for rigor and increased standards for our children’s education. I continue to do my homework and prepare for the important decisions that we make and do not vote unless all of my questions have been answered.
Jim Miller
I just took office in November 2010 and have pushed very hard for Uniform Dress. If I had my way last spring, all of our kids would now be “dressed for success.” I can see that it will have a profound positive effect on the culture of our schools — especially our high schools. Also, I am trying to help us see that in this protracted recession we need to stop spending our few remaining dollars on bricks and mortar. We need technology, and we haven’t spent the money to replace 1/10 of our bus fleet in the last three years – this will cost us in additional maintenance.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Online Candidate Forum for Lake County School Board District 2 between Rosanne Brandeburg and Jim Miller, and it is our hope to do more of these. Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C. would like to thank both candidates for their participation in a totally new concept for educating the voters. Finally, please participate in the election process, listen to the candidates, get involved, and, most importantly, vote.
If you are candidate and would like to participate in this type of innovative forum, please contact us at lakecountygov@lakecountygov.info. It is the goal of Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C. to inform its members and readers on the candidates running for local office.
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Related posts:
Is the Safe Climate coalition of Lake County just another Al Gore Global Warming Scam?
Wouldn’t you think if flushing unused meds down the toilet was really a problem the Lake County Water Authority and the SJRWMS would be involved? Aren’t they protecting our precious water supply?
The Safe Climate Coalition purchased safes for every law enforcement office in the county, except for the Tavares Police Department, which already had one.
According to Executive Director Debi Macintyre, the goal of the coalition’s Prescription Project is “to reduce and prevent prescription drug abuse by youth in Lake County.” Macintyre explains that this is to be achieved through the collaborative effort with Lake County law enforcement to create and implement an ongoing prescription drug disposal program by installing the depository safes.
Proper and responsible disposal of unused prescription medications is important because it prevents those medications from falling into the wrong hands, which can lead to addictions and accidental overdoses, and it protects the environment. Lake County has over 1,400 named lakes that are thriving with marine life that can be harmed when medications are flushed in toilets.
“This is a wonderful program that the Safe Climate Coalition has started and it’s a service that we’re glad to be able to offer our citizens. Proper disposal of unused medications is very important for many reasons,” said Lake Sheriff Gary Borders.
The safes will be emptied as needed and the medications will be turned over to the county’s Solid Waste Department, which will dispose of the medications in the incinerator.
Citizens wishing to drop off their medications may do so during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at either the sheriff’s Main Administration Building located at 360 West Ruby Street in Tavares, or at the South District Office located at 15855 State Road 50 in Clermont. Hey! You forgot to mention every police department in Lake County also has a drug safe!
Is this just another Not-For-Profit Lake County authorized and subsidized welfare program for the well connected? According to the most recent 990 filings Debi Macintyre the Executive Director draws a total salary of $68,551.00. Non compensated fellow board members come from a list of who’s who in Lake County, B. E. Thompson (A mover and shaker of Lifestream; who is found on many other boards around the county) B. E. Thompson’s half brother Lake Sheriff’s Captain Jack Holder, (now appearing on other boards with Thompson) Kristy Marden (Lake Sheriff administrator) Cindy Smith, Jonie Smith, Lori Humprey, Melaine Chin, Phil Scarpelli, Dr. Steve Van Gelder.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. A program such as this is no better than those who are in charge of it. The sheriff’s statement “The safes will be emptied as needed and the medications will be turned over to the county’s Solid Waste Department, which will dispose of the medications in the incinerator.” Really? Some of these drugs have a street value of $50. Or more per pill.
Few of the people of Lake County ever heard about the local FHP trooper and his girlfriend arrested in September 2011 for trafficking drugs. They were arrested in CT with very little local news coverage (as per usual for Lake County)
September 15, 2011 – A Florida Highway Patrol trooper from Lake County and his fiancee were among 16 people arrested this week on charges of conspiring to distribute tens of thousands of oxycodone painkillers, authorities say.
“Operation Blue Coast” started with an arrest at a hotel in Stamford, Conn., on April 8, in which Drug Enforcement Administration officers recovered 6,000 oxycodone pills from a man who routinely traveled from Florida to Connecticut. The trafficker, whose identity was not released, agreed to cooperate and, over the next few months, made hidden recordings that implicated his cohorts, authorities said.
Justin Kolves, 28, of Grand Island, is accused of twice traveling to Connecticut to protect a dealer on drug deliveries, as well as promising protection on Florida roads, according to U.S. Attorney of Connecticut David B. Fein. Kolves reportedly was paid $1,600 a trip. His fiancé, Jessica Douglas, 28, of Grand Island, employed in HR at the City of Lady Lake was charged with accepting money on his behalf, Fein said. The local couple was arrested on charges of conspiring to illegally sell tens of thousands of Oxycodone painkillers from Florida to Connecticut.
If convicted, each could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
The board of this venture and the people of Lake County had better keep an eye on this covert operation. While the not-for-profit organization buying all these safes with “free grant money” sounds good while at the same time providing Ms. Macintyre with a big fat paycheck and, they may very well have the best of intentions in mind, ultimately it will be them who is held morally responsible when the “garbage man” or someone else in the disposal cycle picks up these drugs and gets caught up in the greed cycle and decides as the local trooper and his girlfriend did; there is more money in the drug business than there is in the garbage or police business.
Rosanne, we realize you got in on the end of the bond borrowing bonanza which was going on all the time Jimmy was screaming at Anna Cowin to keep the public’s attention away from what they were really doing. Does everyone out there realize that SIX HUNDERED AND SIXTY TWO MILLION might not me much in Washington, Obama can spend that much ever three hours but, In Lake County if we taxpayers have to pay this back from local revenues we are in deep poo poo.
When you mention sales tax some people don’t realize the LCSB not only gets their portion of the state sales tax from the normal 6% but the LCSB also gets 1/3 of the Lake County infrastructure 1% local option tax. I believe I read somewhere recently that the LCSB had obligated the state sales tax to repay a loan for some purpose arranged though Tallahassee. You are beginning to sound a lot like the LCBCC officials who pledge and obligate their 1/3 of the 1% for everything under the sun.
When folks are as over extended as you political officials on the LCSB have got the taxpayers the first thought would be who gives a hoot what the bond ratings are. How can we maintain an excellent bond rating when we are over extended?
Jim Miller says “we have $2.5 million above debt service this year down from $85 million above debt service just four years ago.” To people with brains this means we have spent $82.5 million of our reserves in just the last four years or $20,625,000.00 (twenty-million-six-hundred and twenty-five per year. Now we have a measly $2.5 million on hand in the savings account. You don’t even have to take your shoes off to count that won’t even cover two months at the monthly rate of spending out of the saving account over the last four years.
For all intents and purposes the LCSB is broke! The best thing to do is call 1-800-Bob-McKee and borrow all the money you can borrow as fast as you can borrow it, then file bankruptcy!
All good things eventually come to an end and Lake County is no exception.