Spotlight on Jeff Meyer - North Hills School Board

1.      Please provide our readers with a brief paragraph introducing yourself that provides them with a snapshot of your background.

I am a lifelong resident of the North Hills area living in the District for the past 19 years. Married with 3 children; 1 graduate of North Hills, 2 currently enrolled.  I am a graduate of Duquesne University (B.S. Business Administration) and Penn State University (M.S. Accounting). I have over 30 years of Finance and Accounting experience holding numerous professional licenses and certifications including CPA, CFA and CFP.  Over the years I have coached numerous summer league baseball teams.

2.      What qualifications and skills will you bring to this position?  For incumbents, please do not reference the number of years you have served in office as a qualification. 

    In addition to my extensive accounting and financial background I have experience teaching at the University level.

3.      Why do you seek this elected office? 

    I have been on the Board for eight years and believe I have made significant contributions to the District.  If elected I hope to continue to make similar contributions for the next 4 years.

4.      What do you think is the most important issue facing North Hills School District in the coming years?

    The decrease in funding from the Commonwealth of PA.  How do you plan to address it?  We need to reduce and or eliminate the unnecessary expenditures of “nice to have” items that will NOT adversely impact the quality of education District students deserve and have come to expect.

5.      If elected, what single change will your try to make to North Hills School District? 

    My hope is to increase the amount of transparency and communication between the administration, the board, the teachers and the general public. Why this change?  This should benefit the students of the District.  At the “end of the day” our #1 objective should be to provide our students with the best education possible at an affordable price.

6.      How are you different from your opponent(s)?
  
    I am unable to answer this question since I do not know all of the other candidates.  However, I will tell you that I have not and will not automatically “rubber stamp” everything the administration proposes/requests.

7.      For incumbents, what is one decision that you have made in your role as North Hills School board member that you regret?  

    I regret not being able to convince my colleagues on the Board to vote against the various derivatives the District entered into 4-5 years ago.  The last time I checked the Net Loss on these positions exceeded $1 Million.  What would you have done differently and why?  If I could ‘turn back the clock’ I would have called Board Members long before the meeting in an attempt to have them better understand the risk associated with these positions.

8.      For new candidates, what is one decision that you feel North Hills School Board has made that had a negative impact?  What would you have done differently and why?  What is one decision the North Hills School District has made that had a positive impact and why?

    N/A

9.      Why do you live within the North Hills School District? 

    My first reaction is “Why Not”?  We have a great school district that is finally beginning to receive the recognition it deserves.  The tax rate is relatively low when compared to other comparable districts in the area.  Lastly, we are conveniently located to Downtown Pittsburgh and some of the area’s major thoroughfares.

10.   What is the best part about North Hills School District? 

    Most if not all of the teachers in the District have a genuine interest in providing an excellent education for our students; providing them with necessary foundation to succeed in whatever path they decide to pursue after graduating.

11.   Where do you think North Hills School District will be 4 years from now? 

    Thanks to the efforts of our teachers and administrators our District and its students have made significant progress on a number of educational fronts.  My hope is that 4 years from now the quality of our programs and the educational value is even higher than it is today.    How will you be instrumental in moving it in that direction?  I hope to support the teachers and administrators in continuing the momentum the District currently enjoys.

Spotlight on Lou Nudi - North Hills School Board

1.      Please provide our readers with a brief paragraph introducing yourself that provides them with a snapshot of your background.

     I am a graduate of West View High School (now North Hills), Valley Forge Military College with an AA in Business Administration, and the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Economics.  I served 7 years as an Officer in the Army and 16 years with Westinghouse where I worked in Procurement, Project Management, Sales, and Marketing.  Now I am self-employed as a manufacturers’ agent for industrial fasteners, machining, and stampings.  Prior to my election to the board, I made several adversarial presentations to the board relative to the Martorelli Stadium construction mismanagement, a former Superintendent’s lame-duck contract, tax increases, and declining academic and financial performance.

2.      What qualifications and skills will you bring to this position?  For incumbents, please do not reference the number of years you have served in office as a qualification.

     My military service and civilian employment provided me with skills in leadership and critical thinking which developed a mission oriented mind-set.  My business, as a self- employed professional, requires me to be fiscally responsible.  Consequently, my personal philosophy or mission as a board member is to provide for and expect the best possible educational outcome at the lowest possible expenditure of taxpayer funds.

3.      Why do you seek this elected office?

     In my initial term, my desire to run for this office was two-fold:  first, to facilitate improved student academic performance and second, to consolidate the elementary schools.  The cost savings from the consolidation provided funding for the expansion and modernization of the buildings and equipping them with state-of-the-art educational technology.  My goals for another term are to facilitate continued improvement of academic performance and to be more active with the Pennsylvania School Board Association in order to influence legislation that is favorable to the public school system and maintains local control of schools.

4.      What do you think is the most important issue facing North Hills School District in the coming years?  How do you plan to address it?

     The most important issue facing North Hills School District in the future is financial.  Revenues from local, state and federal sources are decreasing and property tax increases are capped at the State Index, which approximates the inflation rate.  This situation is further exacerbated by state-mandated increased contributions by our school district to the under-funded teachers’ pension fund.  In short, expenditures are exceeding revenues.  My plan is to continue to right-size the staff, to support expansion of the North Hills Cyber Academy, which will stem the flow of reimbursements to out-of-district cyber schools, and to review all programs and reduce or eliminate those that do not contribute to basic education.  To accomplish this, I would, if necessary, raise taxes to the limits of the State Index or have any additional tax increase placed on referendum for public approval.

5.      If elected, what single change will your try to make to North Hills School District?  Why this change?

     If elected to a second term, I may be called upon to vote on a new teachers’ contract.  I will only vote favorably for a contract that contains salary increases that are reasonable, more sharing of benefit costs, and terms that facilitate efficient administration and management of the district.

6.      How are you different from your opponent(s)?

     This question is difficult to answer as I am not familiar enough with my opponents other than those who are currently on the board.  Relative to my incumbent opponents, I am philosophically on the same page with all but one.  I am consistent in my decision making and act with courage even when results may not be the most popular.  I am responsive to constituent complaints and strive to resolve their issues or achieve understandings.  Relative to the four non-incumbents, I know that two are fiscally conservative.  Another candidate is a teacher and I have little knowledge about the fourth.

7.      For incumbents, what is one decision that you have made in your role as North Hills School board member that you regret?  What would you have done differently and why?

     I regret voting for a tax increase in my first year on the board.  The proposed budget was supposedly in deficit, but actually it produced in a million-dollar surplus.  The following year I voted to reduce taxes by half of the previous year’s increase.

8.      For new candidates, what is one decision that you feel North Hills School Board has made that had a negative impact?  What would you have done differently and why?  What is one decision the North Hills School District has made that had a positive impact and why?

    Not applicable

9.      Why do you live within the North Hills School District?

     I live in the North Hills School District because I was raised here and have lived here all of my life except during my military service.  I was always proud of the district that provided me and my two sons with excellent educations.  Approximately 10 years ago, however, the Standard and Poor’s evaluations of the district, when compared with peer districts, began to slip.  This caused me to become a board adversary, then a board candidate, and ultimately a board member.  Fortunately, as a result of the current administration and faculty, this trend was reversed and is improving every year.

10.   What is the best part about North Hills School District?

     The best things about North Hills School District are its diverse student body, vibrant and involved faculty, and very capable administration.  Additionally, the curriculum offers opportunities not found in most districts – specifically, an extensive technical/industrial arts or pre-engineering program, an exceptional art and music program, and a nationally recognized advanced placement program.

11.   Where do you think North Hills School District will be 4 years from now?  How will you be instrumental in moving it in that direction?

     I believe that North Hills School District will continue to improve academically and will have the premier K-12 on-line academy in Pennsylvania.  I foresee more National Merit Scholars and the district continuing to appear on the Newsweek list of top 1500 schools.  My role will be to assure the fiscal viability of the district and to provide the Administration, faculty, and staff with support, encouragement, and recognition of their efforts. 

Spotlight on Tom Baker - North Hills School Board

1.      Please provide our readers with a brief paragraph introducing yourself that provides them with a snapshot of your background.

     My name is Tom Baker and I serve as the Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. In this role at BBBS, I manage a 14 member program staff. Our team serves over 1,150 big/little matches annually. I also coordinate our Young Professional Outreach Board, Male Recruitment Advisory Board, BIG Speakers Bureau, and conducts volunteer trainings. My own BBBS little brother, Preston, is a 2010 high school graduate and is attending Franklin and Marshall College. Locally, I serve on the Board of Directors of North Hills Community Outreach and the Baierl Family YMCA. I am also the President of Baker Leadership, author of Get Involved! Making the Most of Your 20s and 30s and Get Involved! Give Our Passion, voice of The Best of Get Involved! audiobooks, moderate the monthly Get Involved! Power Hour series in Pittsburgh, facilitate the Fast Track Pittsburgh Service and Leadership program, and am founder of the annual Get Involved! Pittsburgh Service Summit. All of my Get Involved! efforts are a direct attempt to inspire and educate others to make a difference and become leaders in the region. Since February 2008, I have spoken with over 15,000 students, young professionals, and community leaders at 115 colleges, corporations, professionals associations, and civic groups. Currently, I serve as President of the Pittsburgh East Rotary Club. My wife of seven years, Erin, and I are proud to call the North Hills home and live in Ross Township.

2.      What qualifications and skills will you bring to this position?  For incumbents, please do not reference the number of years you have served in office as a qualification.

     I have two degrees in Education which bring a background useful to serving on the School Board. I was Student Body President while earning my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Millersville University and served as President of the Associates for Student Development during my graduate studies in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Indiana University of PA. Being a lifelong learner is important to me and I am also a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh LDI Class XV, Coro Pittsburgh’s Emerging Leaders in Public Affairs, and Duquesne University’s Leadership Academy. Through my professional role as Vice President of Programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters I work diligently with students and staff every day to provide quality opportunities to children. As a professional speaker who is able to travel all over the country through Get Involved! I also have had a chance to see how educational institutions operate and empower students in dozens of others cities.

3.      Why do you seek this elected office?

     I truly believe that I can make a positive difference. As a School Board member, I plan to play an important role in providing students from Ross Township and West View with a top notch educational experience that will prepare them for future success. Working collaboratively with the North Hills School District administration to ensure that students are provided with opportunities to excel both within and outside of the classroom will be a priority, if elected. As a school board member, I will serve all parents, students, and constituents with the respect that they deserve as taxpayers in the community.

4.      What do you think is the most important issue facing North Hills School District in the coming years?  How do you plan to address it?

     I really do think that increased taxation can threaten our sustaining population and potential growth in the North Hills. While I would never make a decision to limit the potential of students to learn, I do think that there are ways that we can think creatively to ensure that taxes do not increase significantly in the next four years for families in Ross Township and West View. Anytime that there is a major change in leadership it provides a time for change, which can either be positive or negative. With the retirement of our superintendent and the early retirements of 29 teachers in the district, there definitely will be new faces guiding and educating students. The PSSA reading, writing, math, and science figures from recent years showcase that the district exceeds all of the measurable targets set by the PA Department of Education. Ensuring that students continue to be adequately prepared for a successful future will be a main focus for the next four years. I am impressed with the already inspiring 95% of high school students who are proficient or advanced in the important skill of writing. Recent figures have also showed promising results from students in their SAT scores and Advanced Placement tests. Overall, the North Hills School District is moving in a positive direction. We need to ensure as a school board and school district that this success continues.

5.      If elected, what single change will your try to make to North Hills School District?  Why this change?

     Keeping our tax burden for local residents manageable is vital. Beyond that, I am hopeful to provide the district with a new voice that will inspire students at all levels to become engaged outside of the classroom. I truly believe in the power of the co-curriculum and am a firm believer that students can learn a great deal through their extra-curricular efforts and experiences. Ensuring that students are aware of enrichment programs and ways to get involved through collaborating with the administration, teachers, and parents will be a priority. 

6.      How are you different from your opponent(s)?

     Having a Bachelors and Masters degree in Education will provide me with a solid background when making decisions as a board member. I also make decisions every day that influence the lives of over 1,150 students through my professional work at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. We manage 22 site based programs in schools all over Allegheny, Washington, and Greene counties. I also will bring a collaborative approach and really enjoy working with people. I am not running for the school board to engage in infighting or petty bickering. I truly want to help provide excellent opportunities for students in Ross Township and West View.

7.      For incumbents, what is one decision that you have made in your role as North Hills School board member that you regret?  What would you have done differently and why? 

 n/a

8.      For new candidates, what is one decision that you feel North Hills School Board has made that had a negative impact?  What would you have done differently and why?  What is one decision the North Hills School District has made that had a positive impact and why?

     While our taxes are lower than 75% of our fellow suburban communities in Allegheny County, there still have been increases in the tax burden on residents in the North Hills in recent years. I especially worry about seniors living on a fixed income and how increased taxes threaten their livelihood. Even though the school consolidation decision and process was certainly not flawless, I do give the board credit for being willing to consolidate services. Had consolidation been taken off the table and not implemented, the current budget process would be even far more difficult. These are tough economic times for educational institutions and non-profit organizations. Every day, I make decisions to help support the 1,150 children that my program oversees at Big Brothers Big Sisters. I see first hand through my work what the climate within the state and federal government means to school systems and community organizations and know that this is a time in which leaders will have to think outside of the box from time to time to ensure success for our students.  

9.      Why do you live within the North Hills School District?

     My wife, Erin, and I really enjoy living in the North Hills. Having a strong school district definitely was important in our decision to live and stay here in Ross Township. We also are fond of McKnight Road (minus the holiday traffic) and the restaurants and stores in our community. I have also really enjoyed my time serving on two local non-profit boards, North Hills Community Outreach and the Baierl Family YMCA.  

10.   What is the best part about North Hills School District?

     The history of the district and the excellent opportunities that exist for students to succeed. It is also quite obvious that the parents, teachers, and administration are fully committed to seeing students grow and develop both inside and outside of the classroom.

11.   Where do you think North Hills School District will be 4 years from now?  How will you be instrumental in moving it in that direction?

     My sincere hope is that the North Hills School District will still be among the top ten for lowest taxes among the suburban district in Allegheny County. I also hope that the percentage of students proficient in writing, SAT score figures, and AP test success rates continue to increase. Overall, I hope to see an increased passion from the students, administration, teachers, and parents in the district with regards to service and community. Empowering, educating, and inspiring others is a big part of what I do through my role at BBBS and in my Get Involved! initiatives. By providing a positive and optimistic voice on our school board I feel strongly that I can help our students to succeed in the North Hills School District.

Spotlight on Lou Krummert - North Hills School Board

1.      Please provide our readers with a brief paragraph introducing yourself that provides them with a snapshot of your background.

Hi.  My name is Lou Krummert and I have lived in Ross Township my whole life.  I graduated from North Hill in the class of 1999, and have two Brothers Matt Krummert class of 2001, and Brian Krummert class of 2007.   Both my parents are also products of North Hills, my father Lou Krummert Sr. was in the class of 1972, and mother Karen (Killmeyer) class of 1975.  I grew up near Fairview Fire Dept. on Clearview road.  I currently work at BNY Mellon as a performance analyst, and will have worked there 6 years this fall.  I have degree from Robert Morris University in Finance/Economics, and also a Masters in management from Point Park University.  Finally, I am the VP of the Ross Township sportsman’s association.

2.      What qualifications and skills will you bring to this position?  For incumbents, please do not reference the number of years you have served in office as a qualification.

My background in Finance will help led the school district during these tough economic times.  I am also peoples’ person, meaning I spend more time listening to the tax payers concerns than telling them how smart I am.  In the end the teachers, and parents know best when it comes to coming up with good ideas for the North Hills School District, and not the politicians.

3.      Why do you seek this elected office?

The simple answer is to give back to the community that made me who I am today, and for that I am forever grateful.  So many teachers, parents, friends, and family made me who I am today.  For example, Mr. Wilkie (cross country and track coach for North Hills) affected my life in so many ways.  He taught me that cross country is a lot like life.  The harder you work the better the results, and he was right (I will never forgot that statement).  Participating in sports taught me how hard work, discipline, teamwork, and never giving up no matter how tough life gets.  I not only have the time to run for school board, I also the energy to give back.

4.      What do you think is the most important issue facing North Hills School District in the coming years?  How do you plan to address it?

Two words “Budget Shortfall”.  It’s easy to slash spending when the tough gets going.  Unfortunately the kids will pay ultimate price in the end.  You can judge any community by the strength of the school district.  I want to make sure North Hills School District remains one of the best High Schools in the state.  Dealing with the budget shortfall (left by the state) will be a combination of eliminating wasteful spending, and small tax increases.  Think about it, we could keep taxes so low that everyone would be happy in the short-run, but when our kids graduate they will not have the skills they need to compete in not only a local market place, but a global market place.  If test scores fall, less people would want to buy a house in Ross Township or West View, and the result would be plummeting property values (the old saying is true “you get what you pay for”).  That said, I will not simply vote yes on everything either.  There is a ton of wasteful spending (especially at the administration level) and my background in accounting and finance will allow me to cut wasteful spending out of the budget. 

5.      If elected, what single change will your try to make to North Hills School District?  Why this change?

Better technology for our kids would be my first goal.  If you look at the changing economy and how we went from computers the size of houses down to being able to hold them into the palm our your hand demonstrates the power of information systems.  If the kids do not have better technological training they will be behind their peers in college, and more importantly the workforce.

6.      How are you different from your opponent(s)?

I am different from my opponents in one way that distances me from the field.  I listen to people when they talk.  The parents and teachers are on the front lines of the day to day issues of the school district.  I want to hear from them on how they feel things should be improved.  It’s the same as the front line workers of a business, they know way more about the day to day operations than the big shots at the top.  Same with the school district, parents and teachers have way better ideas than the current school board, and all current school board has to do is listen (but unfortunately that’s not always the case).  Currently the school board puts problems into the hands of committees (which is a nice way of a politician telling you they don’t care).  For example, there were plenty of parents upset about a letter sent out to them about healthy foods.  Some parents took it personal saying they know how to feed their children (and I agree with them).  What did the school board do about this problem? Nothing! They did absolutely nothing, but putting it into the hands of the committee for further discussion.  Some of the school board members were blaming the food service provider saying they know nothing about the letter?  If that’s the case then shame on the school board as they should have known about the letter. 

7.      For incumbents, what is one decision that you have made in your role as North Hills School board member that you regret?  What would you have done differently and why?

I am a challenger.

8.      For new candidates, what is one decision that you feel North Hills School Board has made that had a negative impact?  What would you have done differently and why?  What is one decision the North Hills School District has made that had a positive impact and why?

Closing three elementary schools with very little thought put into the decision was a big mistake.  It was rammed through by the administration even though so many parents were upset.  There should have been more discussion before the matter was voted on.  Shame on the incumbent’s that voted for the school closings.  I would have listened to the taxpayers.  Remember, the long-term goal of any school district is to make sure their kids can compete in a global economy.  Jamming kids from 7 schools into 4 is not the best way to achieve that goal.  I agree that some of the elementary schools needed closed but not all three.  It should have been done over a ten year period and not a four year period.

9.      Why do you live within the North Hills School District?

I lived here my whole life (31 years), I went to school here, learned how to drive a car here, went on my first date here, and have meet so many great people here.  It’s a great community to live, the people are friendly, and it’s a great location.  Where only minutes away from the city, great universities to send our kids when they graduate, great sports to watch (Go Pens!), and some of the best hospitals in the world call Pittsburgh home (and so do I). 

10.   What is the best part about North Hills School District?

The people are by far the best part.  This being my second time around running for school board I have been door knocking a great deal.  People have told me so many things about them and their passion for the community they call home.  Everyone and I mean everyone wants North Hills to remain strong for years to come.  That has touched me so much that I would never live anywhere else.

11.   Where do you think North Hills School District will be 4 years from now?  How will you be instrumental in moving it in that direction?

The North Hills School District will be one of the best schools the state.  The trend of the PSSA scores falling over the last four years will move in the opposite direction.  A great school district at a reasonable cost to the taxpayers is what most people are looking for.  I want to deliver that to each and every tax payer in the North Hills School District.

Another good idea for your Saturday night dinner!

A spaghetti dinner will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2011, from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM at St. Ferdinand Church in Oldenski Hall, 2535 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, PA. 

The suggested donation is $6.00 per person. 

A 50/50 raffle will be drawn at 6:30, and the silent basket raffle will be held at 6:45.  (winners do not have to be present)

The proceeds will benefit Corporal Dan Hahn of the Cranberry Township Police Department.

The event is hosted by the Cranberry Township Police Association.

Help with the Candidate Spotlight!

The questions are ready to roll out!  We are just in need of a few more email addresses in order to reach the candidates.  Can you help us out?

We need email addresses for the following:
Ann Harold
Grace Stanko
Margaret Ann Duffy
Nino Vaccaro
Paul Trilley
Dan McCarty
Arlene Bender
Jeff Meyer

The Spotlight will provide an excellent opportunity to connect with Ross Township and North Hills School District residents. We would like to present this opportunity to all of the candidates!

If you are one of the candidates or know one of the candidates, please send us their email addres so that we can include them in the Spotlight!  Email us at PerryRochester15229@gmail.com or rossrenegade@gmail.com .

Thanks for the help!!!

We are sending Ross Township Commissioners on a weekend getaway to the ALOM Spring Conference!

Weekend getaways are really nice…especially when someone else is paying for it!  Four of our Ross Township Commissioners are getting a weekend away using our tax dollars this weekend starting on April 7th!  They will be attending the Allegheny League of Municipalities Spring Conference at Seven Springs.  ALOM is a “voluntary, umbrella organization of boroughs, townships, cities, home rule municipalities, municipal authorities and the County of Allegheny” and its purpose is to assist “local elected and appointed officials in the areas of communication, cooperation, and coordination on mutual matters of area-wide concern.”  You can find more information on this organization at their web site:  http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/alom/.  ALOM typically holds “conferences” twice a year at Seven Springs Resort, one in the spring and one in the fall.  During these conferences, ALOM presents educational seminars and opportunities for networking.

Commissioners Grace Stanko, Pete Ferraro, David Mikec, and Chris Eyster will be attending this year’s Spring Conference.  They are also taking their spouses along, or in Eyster’s case, a “guest”.  It will cost the taxpayers of Ross Township approximately $2,553.00, plus mileage, to send Commissioners Stanko, Ferraro, Mikec and Eyster (plus spouses or guests) to the Conference.  Included in that are three nights of lodging (except for Commissioner Ferraro who will only be staying for 2), admission to the conference, and meals for themselves and their spouse (or “guest”).  That’s $790.00 for an weekend getaway networking and educational opportunity that can be used to promote Ross Township to other local elected officials in Allegheny County?  It must be a really important event since we need to send 44% of our elected Commissioners to attend.  I wonder what four Commissioners can accomplish at this event that one or two can’t?!??!

I’ve spent the past several days looking for additional information about ALOM’s Spring Conference and there really isn’t much out there.  A Google search revealed many links to other municipalities’ agendas and meeting minutes in which a vote was taken to send members.  There was an article about Mayor Luke Ravenstahl being appointed as the Chairman of the ALOM and not even bothering to show up for the conference.  There was also an article about a local municipality scaling back on the number of representatives that it sends to the conference in order to cut costs: http://www.yourfoxchapel.com/herald/article/hard-times-cause-some-cut-out-conference. 

I had hoped to find a link to a listing of the seminars that would be offered in order to find out what educational and/or networking opportunities are attracting so many Ross Township Commissioners to this event.  I have yet to find that list or any information of what happens at either the Spring or Fall ALOM Conference.  Perhaps the organizers of this event and those involved with it do not want the taxpayer to know what happens during this “conference”?

Since there is very little information available as to what this is, let’s go with what I have been told or what I know.  The ALOM conferences are just an expensive road trip on the tax payer’s dime.  It is set up so the Commissioners can go to Seven Springs in order to eat and drink (alcoholic beverages!) at taxpayer expense for an entire weekend.  During the day, there are supposed seminars for the conference attendees.  At night time, it turns into a big party atmosphere where the vendors and others have hospitality suites.  Our township representatives wander from suite to suite, where they are gifted with things and are able to get their drink on.  In many cases, these vendors put on a pretty nice show in order to “earn” business.  Then you add alcohol into the mix and you really loosen things up.  Think sleazy politics at its finest and throw in some good old “I’ll grease your hand if you grease mine”.  I bet you that it is a really good time and that good time is being had at our expense.

If this truly was being used as an educational and networking opportunity, then that is great, but it isn’t.  I don’t believe that anything that happens at this conference is done with the best interests of Ross Township in mind.  I went back through all of the 2010 minutes in order to double check things.  There is not ONE mention of the ALOM Conference or any of the valuable connections, contacts, or resources in the minutes.  In fact, I didn’t even see one case where there was a discussion or a vote held in order to send the Commissioners to the Conference.  I saw a few other references of sending other staff members and employees to various conferences and training sessions.  I even saw a discussion and a vote in order to send Commissioner Demarco to the PERLAS conference.  That led to a very interesting article where Commissioner Demarco admitted that certain guidelines were not followed when approving Commissioners to attend the ALOM Conference: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10042/1034873-54.stm.  I also went through all of the 2011 minutes that were available online and there was no mention of the ALOM Conference in any of those either.  Again, no public discussion and no public vote were listed in the minutes for something that is a very public use of tax payer money! (*Just a little notice that the minutes for 2011 only run through February, so it is possible that the discussion was held in March, although that would be very short notice since the Conference is the beginning of April).  So no public discussion or vote on attending the Conference while using tax payer money to pay for lodging, seminars, mileage, and food plus the party atmosphere and alcohol.  In addition, no public discussion on the results of this supposed conference as in what contacts were made, what resources were utilized, or what possible problems it could help with.  Sounds like more back room dealing to me!

ALOM is supposed to be an organization for local communities yet they are holding the conference outside of the local area.  I question why an organization that is associated with Allegheny County has to utilize a location outside of Allegheny County and outside of our region for their conference?  Why are they taking their business outside of Allegheny County?  Why not stay here and help the local businesses in this area?  I did read in one article that it is such a large group that Seven Springs is the only place big enough to house all the conference attendees (and vendors pushing their product/service) in the area.  It is so large that all of the hotel and most of the condos sell out, according to their Director of Communications.  Funny thing though….I was just on the Seven Springs web site and found plenty of openings for lodging this weekend.  Plus attendance has dwindled so much in the last several years that a closer and much more cost effective option must exist.  Wonder why the David L. Lawrence Convention Center isn’t big enough to hold everyone involved?  If they had the Conference there, they wouldn’t need hotel rooms to hold most of the attendees since the Allegheny League of Municipalities members are communities IN Allegheny County.  But if they did that, then where would they hold the nightly parties.

Let’s face it…our tax dollars are paying for our Commissioners to go to Seven Springs and have a good time this weekend. We are paying for a nice room in a resort, good food to eat at fancy dinners, and a huge party at night with lots to drink.  That’s it.  We don’t get to have the fun, we don’t get the free “thanks for doing business” gifts (that was quite a nice chair that they got last year), and we don’t get the experience.  But we pay for it.  Ross Township apparently doesn’t get anything for this either since there is nothing in the minutes of 2010 that connects the conference with anything.  Not even a comment such as: “Hey, we attended this, we did this, and this is what we got from it.”  Nothing…..but our tax dollars pay for it.

Also, why do nearly half of our Commissioners need to go to this?  Will the other half attend the Fall Conference in order to get their weekend getaway that they apparently feel entitled to?  I find it strange that this event is important enough to require the attendance of so many Commissioners yet doesn’t warrant a mention or write up in the minutes!!!  Does anyone else find this outrageous????

If you have attended the ALOM Conference and would like to share your personal experience, please leave a comment and tell us your story.  You can do it anonymously and no one will be any wiser.  In fact, if you are attending this weekend, give us a live update or come back and tell us how it went.  We would love to hear the stories and live vicariously through someone attending it…..especially since we are paying for our Commissioners to enjoy it!

1000 Hits!

North Hills Exposure launched on March 15, 2011.  It has been 3 weeks since the first blog post, Introduction to North Hills Exposure, was posted.  We have seen quite a lot of traffic in those 3 weeks and to give you an idea of just how busy it has been, we just wanted to let you know that we reached 1000 overall hits on April 3rd, 2011!  That averages out to about 53 hits per day! Thank you to all of our readers!!

There must be a quite a bit of interest in what is happening in the Ross Township area....quite a bit indeed!

As a reader, you can also help us grow to reach even more people.  Please take the time and share a link to this blog with your friends and family -- http://northhillsexposure.blogspot.com/  Pass the link on to anyone that you know in Ross Township. Tell you neighbors about it.  Tell your business associates about it.  Spread the word!!!

Thank you again!!

Retail Vacancies, the Ross Economic Development Committee and Self-Serving Township Commissioners (Kinross, Stanko and Mazur)

It was pointed out to me over the weekend, that the shopping center on McKnight Road that is home to Pool City is looking at foreclosure. Wells Fargo bank started foreclosure proceedings March 1st on the property, citing that the mortgage hasn't been paid in 4 months.

I can't believe that Blockbuster's departure made the property fall into foreclosure?!!?

I certainly hope that this can be resolved as we don't need another major retail vacancy on McKnight Road.  There is already a vacancy where Roth Carpet and Burtons Pet Place were.  There are significant retail vacancies as you travel along the McKnight Road corridor and some of them have been sitting empty for quite a long time.  It does seem like every time one vacancy is filled, another one opens up.

What is Ross Township doing to address this?  The Township's Economic Development Committee (RED) holds meetings a few times a year.  What is a RED meeting you ask? Well it is a meeting where business representatives from Ross Township are invited to a luncheon hosted by the leaders of the RED -- Commissioners Kinross, Stanko and Mazur.  In essence these events function as networking events where Ross Township businesses can network with other Ross Township businesses.  It also provides Commissioner Kinross with a setting to sell insurance policies for his insurance business, Commissioner Stanko to sell printing services for her husband's printing business (North Hills Printing) and Commissioner Mazur with an venue for promoting Mazur autobody.  From the notice I saw in the McKnight Journal, the last luncheon was held at Sieb's Pub on March 8th.

It us our belief that the RED committee needs new direction and new leadership or it needs to be scrapped in its entirety and replaced with new committee or other municipal entity that would be responsible to economic development and redevelopment in the Township.  It can no longer exist to serve the personal business interests of of Commissioners Kinross, Stanko and Mazur rather than the best interest of the taxpayers. 

The new leadership of the RED, or the leadership of its successor, must work with other interested members of the community, including the businesses and other stake holders from all three of the Township's commercial districts --McKnight Road, Babcock Boulevard and Perry Highway.  The new leadership must develop and implement a well thought out, long-term game plan on how to revitalize the McKnight Road, Babcock Boulevard and Perry Highway commercial districts.  The focus should start on McKnight, but should also include the others.  Otherwise, McKnight Road is in danger of being taken over by Chinese massage parlors, check cashing stores, mattress stores, and temporary seasonal Halloween costume stores!

What do you think?  Let your voice be heard and comment below!

North Hills School District will be raising property taxes....again....

There will be a property tax increase in the budget for North Hills School District this year.  That is a fact.  This will be the 2^nd year in a row that the NHSD will increase property taxes.

Now some are very quick to point the finger at Governor Corbett and his cuts to education, but let me tell you, this tax increase was planned long before the proposed budget from Governor Corbett was released.  So don’t break your finger pointing it just at him.  Use your other fingers and point them at the members of the North Hills School Board.

The details of the tax increase can be a bit confusing, but the district designs them that way because they think the simple folk won’t bother to take the time to understand them.  Let me try to break it down for you.

On June 27 2006, the Taxpayer Relief Act, commonly referred to as Act 1, was enacted by the state legislature and soon thereafter became the law of the land.    Act 1 was intended to ease “the financial burden of home ownership by providing school districts the means to lower property taxes to homeowners, especially senior citiens, via the funding provided by gaming revenue.”  In other words, legalize gambling in PA and we will reap the benefits of the money that this brings in.  You may remember getting a notice about applying for the Homestead Exclusion and then seeing a slight decrease in your property taxes, with a promise of more decreases to come.  Funny thing, I only remember seeing one decrease and several increases.

Not only was Act 1 supposed to decrease our property taxes, it was supposed to limit the amount that a school district could raise our property taxes in a single year.  This was to be accomplished using the rate of inflation. The Department of Education would set an inflationary index and if a school district wanted to raise property taxes above the indexed rate, then it would need to be approved by voters through a referendum.

Sounds all well and good except for one thing, there were exceptions built into Act 1.  These exceptions allow the school district to raise taxes by more than the allotted index if certain situations were to arise.  Let’s call these exceptions what they are – loopholes.  There are 10 possible loopholes that school districts can jump through and use to their advantage.

So back to North Hills…..they have known for at least two years that they would be facing a huge budget gap this year because the federal stimulus funds that they were provided with over the past couple of years were used to fill the budget gaps that existed over the last two years.  The problem with that is that the stimulus funds were not designed for the long term but more like a one-time gift.  

The District thought they had this problem figured out by proposing a property tax increase.  The District planned to increase property taxes by not only the allowed tax increase under Act 1, but also TWO additional exceptions/loopholes for an overall property tax increase of approximately 1 mill.  Simple answer…right? 

Now enter Gov. Corbett’s proposed budget and the district has to come up with an additional $600,000 dollars.  It remains to be seen where this money will come from.

One solution that the School Board came up with was the early teacher retirement incentives.  They offered 29 teachers early retirement packages, giving them a sweet bonus if they retired this year instead of continuing to teach and retire at a later date.  At the moment, it seems like a great idea because it appears as if it will help to balance this year’s budget and save money.  However, how does that stack up in the long run?  Director of Finance David Hall has stated that teacher retirement incentives don’t pay off in the long run (in fact he has a whole PowerPoint presentation that outlines the drawbacks of retirement incentives for teachers). Despite Mr. Hall’s warning, the school board still chose this option.  29 Teachers take retirement package

It really appears as if this School Board is very short sighted in their vision.  They didn’t make long-term plans to address the loss of federal stimulus funds even though they knew it was only going to last for two years!  They regularly fail to analyze the impact that the decisions made today will have on the future.  They are too focused on the now instead of the “what will we be facing in 3 -5 years”.   

The School Board believes that a property tax increase will solve all their problems and are quick to implement one instead of looking at the wasteful spending that is occurring in the District.  A property tax increase may balance the budget for next year, but what about the year after that when revenues are projected to continue falling, charter school enrollment will increase, and a school voucher system may come into play?  What will happen if Governor Corbett’s proposal to close the loopholes in Act 1 and put any tax increases above the index to vote?  The NHSD won’t be able to sneak in a huge property tax increase to balance the budget.

It’s time to look at the future and realize that out of control spending needs to stop.  Despite what many may think, throwing money at education (for special programs, administrative salaries, and professional level sport complexes) is not improving our education. 

Take a look at this research.  The Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Georgia created a chart which compares educational spending per student. Check out the chart  HERE.   As you can see from the chart, the US spends the 2nd largest amount per student.  Yet even with this spending, the education in the US continues to fall behind other countries that spend less.  Kind of makes you scratch your head....

Here is another one from the Commonwealth Foundation:  Education Spending and Results

Education is important….VERY important….but that doesn’t mean that out of control spending and continuous tax increases have to go along with it.  Let’s face it, the recession has impacted nearly everyone and changed spending habits….except for North Hills School District.

This is a very critical year for the future of the District.  There are several seats up for the School Board election in May with 5 incumbents running for re-election.  Perhaps it’s time for some new blood on the board?  In addition to the election, the teacher’s contract expires in August of this year.  Both of these events will have a dramatic impact on the operations of the District in the years to come, as well as on our wallets in the future!

* As an update to this post, Dr Goodnack posted an open letter on the NHSD web site concerning the 2011-2012 budget.  If you would like to view letter, click HERE

** This post contains the views of Perry Rochester only.  McKnight Babcock has a different perspective on some of the issues raised in this blog post.