Council says no to vote on override

The Newburyport City Council has delivered a major blow to a proposed $1.6 million override for the city's public schools, but supporters of the tax increase are not giving up.

By a 7-to-3 vote Monday, the council refused a request from the School Committee that it schedule a May 15 special election on the override. By the same margin, it rejected a proposed $17,000 transfer to fund the costs of the election.

Ward 5 Councilor Bruce L. Vogel, who sponsored the order seeking the special election, said he was disappointed with the vote, but plans to re introduce the order at the council's next meeting on April 9.

"Hopefully, between now and then, the concerns of my colleagues will be addressed and satisfied," he said, referring to complaints by some councilors that the School Committee had not adequately specified how it would spend the added funds.

Mayor John Moak, who requested the transfer of funds, could not be reached immediately. But Vogel said he anticipated the mayor, who supports the override, would resubmit the money order.

Newburyport never has had a ballot vote on an override, although voters have approved two debt exclusions. The proposed school override would add a little more than $200 to the annual $5,045 tax bill of a home with the median value of $488,000.

School Committee members say the override is needed to infuse revenue into a system hard-hit by years of cutbacks and that faces additional trims next year.

"A spring override is a key piece of the School Committee's strategy to stop Newburyport's current decline in education quality, begin the process of improving the educational opportunities we offer our students, and increase the level of student achievement in Newburyport," the committee stated in a letter to the council.

But Ward 3 Councilor James G. Shanley, one of those voting against scheduling the special election, said later that the School Committee has yet to vote on "exactly what the money is for. I cannot in good conscience bring a measure forward for adoption without having that information.

"To bring forth a special election for an open-ended question is just wrong in my opinion," he said. "You just can't do it, especially for a Proposition 2 1/2 override."

"They need to have an itemized plan to solve the problem," said Councilor at Large Thomas E. Jones. "There have to be values attached to the actions they'll take before people will find their request credible."

The School Committee is considering a plan offered by Superintendent of Schools Kevin M. Lyons to eliminate a projected $1.5 million deficit in fiscal 2008. It would close the gap through a significant restructuring, including the closure of an elementary school, and straight cuts. About 34 positions would be eliminated.

Committee member Mark Wright said he expects that the panel at one of its two meetings next week will adopt the reconfiguration proposal, as well as a proposal detailing how the override revenue would be spent.

Wright said he believes the committee will favor going forward with the restructuring even if the override passes. The override revenue would be used to restore past cuts, and proposed cuts not related to the restructuring, as well as to invest in district improvements proposed by Lyons in December.

Referring to the council, Wright said: "I would have hoped that they would have allowed the ballot question to go on the ballot and given the voters of Newburyport an opportunity to vote on the issue. I understand there is a desire for additional information. Hopefully, we can provide that to them and then at that point they will be prepared to put the ballot question on the ballot."

Ken Okaya, who along with Wright is a member of a ballot committee called "Yes for Newburyport," which supports the override, called last week's council vote a "minor setback."

"Certainly, it's not over," he said, noting that there is ample time to provide councilors with the details they are seeking, and to further educate the public on the issue.

Okaya said the council meeting was "a great forum" that "brought a lot of visibility to the issue. That gets the community engaged at a proper level early, which I think is very important."

At the meeting, a group of residents submitted a petition with 63 signatures of residents opposed to the scheduling of the special election, according to City Clerk Richard Jones.

"Yes for Newburyport" collected more than 200 names on its petition in support of holding the election, but, because of an oversight, did not present it that night. Okaya said the group had planned to do so this past Tuesday.

Vogel, who supports passage of the override, questioned how "stopping this process... is helping our community. I wish we were... endorsing the effort to do what we can to get the schools the necessary resources."

City Council president Thomas F. O'Brien, who voted against scheduling the special election, said that with even more specifics on the override plan, he would not support a special election.

"A special election would just bring out people that want [the override]," he said, " not those against it."

O'Brien said he would support putting the override on the ballot of the city election in November, when "more people will vote."