Letter to the Editor: Why I Voted "No" to Spending $5,450,000 on School Renovations

WHY I VOTED “NO” TO SPENDING $5,450,000 ON SCHOOL RENOVATIONS

“Honey, the kids have moved out.  The company is cutting my pay.  And, to get by, we may have to turn part of the house into something else.  Let’s take out a big mortgage and renovate!!”  That is the gist of the request to spend more than $5,000,000 to upgrade the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems at the elementary and middle schools.

Projections obtained by the Board of Education show that, in the not too distant future, our elementary and middle schools will be educating 50% fewer students than they were in 2007.  Enrollment is already down about 30%.  It is reasonable to consider that a portion or all of one school might be put to a different use.  Indeed, the Board of Education just recommended forming a committee, drawing input from other town agencies and from the public, to study those exact possibilities. 

An upgraded HVAC system would surely be nice to have, and the Building Committee has done an expert job in formulating the plan.  Until we know the ultimate use of the buildings, however, would it not make sense to hold off?  Since enrollment has fallen dramatically, the administration could, even now, avoid using some rooms if they are less comfortable than others. 

And, if some room temperatures and humidity levels were that bad, one would think that the HVAC renovations would have been a higher priority than last year’s capital expenditures.  As you may recall, the town borrowed nearly $1,300,000 in 2015 to repave the parking lots at both schools and, at JRMS, to refinish the gym floor, replace the bleachers, and install new padding on the walls.  If those needs were more pressing, then perhaps we can defer a new HVAC system until we have all the facts that taxpayers will need to make an informed decision.

The problem with borrowing money is having to pay it back.  Borrowing for the HVAC improvements, alone, would add about $400,000 per year to the town budget.  That is on top ofthe several hundred thousand dollars per year already baked into future budgets because we are refinancing our short-debt into long-term bonds.  That process will entail paying back more principal every year and accruing interest at a higher rate.

In addition, the Governor has recently proposed ending nearly $1,000,000 per year in state aid that Redding has traditionally received. Even without borrowing for a new HVAC system, the residents of Redding will be certain to face large tax increases in future years. 

That is why, as a member of the Board of Finance, I voted “NO” to borrowing $5,450,000 and committing to additional debt service of $400,000 per year.  Let’s wait until we have all the relevant facts.

Best regards,

Ward J. Mazzucco