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Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Thomas Hamilton begins his rebuttal to comments made by Norwalk Chief Financial Officer Henry Dachowitz, at Wednesday’s Board of Education Finance Committee meeting.
NORWALK, Conn. Norwalk’s CFO has cherry picked facts and presented misleading information to justify shifting taxpayer dollars to the City-side of the budget, Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Thomas Hamilton said Wednesday.
Should Chief Financial Officer Henry Dachowitz’ recommended budget be approved, NPS will be forced into painful program cuts, he said, after he and other NPS administrators laid out a detailed rebuttal to comments made by Dachowitz on Monday and Tuesday.
So, Dr. Estrella, it is within your purview to tell the City that an RFP regarding the NPS is unfair because there is not a comparable review of unrelated City functions? I don’t think so. I would also politely remind you that taxes are becoming entirely too frothy in Norwalk and that, while we all benefit from excellent schools, taxpayer patience with these enormous annual budget requests by the NPS is limited. Surely you cannot disagree that a city Department that commands a large majority of the overall fiscal budget must receive a hard look. I also respectfully disagree with your notion that education is not in any way comparable to traditional business. It is the business of educating our children, and it should be run with one eye on the bottom line.
Updated 2:24 p.m.: Comments from Mayor Harry Rilling.
NORWALK, Conn.
Norwalk’s financial chief has advised Common Council members not to fund a new welcome center for Norwalk Public Schools this year. He also recommends saying “no” to funding the Silvermine Elementary School driveway, bathroom renovations and the cafeteria work that’s been planned. Instructional technology should also be a no, as far as Chief Financial Officer Henry Dachowitz is concerned.
Dachowitz, in his recommended capital budget, warned that Norwalk’s triple A bond rating would be jeopardized by adding more than $120 million to the City’s existing debt. The City is working to delay and spread out its projects, he said.