CASD Board Member Still Wants To Lower Taxes

Dear Editor:

Should the PA State Legislature appropriate additional funding to the CASD within the next few days the Coatesville Area School Board will reopen the CASD 2002-2003 Budget to further reduce the 14.1% tax increase.

None of the Board wanted a 14.1% tax increase. I am pleased that seven of the nine member board members voted responsibly and passed favorably a truly bare bones budget before our June 30th deadline. I will personally see a $700 to $800 real estate tax increase. Eric Brown pays zero real estate taxes. Unlike board member, Eric Brown, who was the lone dissenting vote of the budget, I have been very fiscally prudent during the past two years and have consistently voted against contracts, jobs, and services to the politically select of Eric Brown and Ron Scott. I previously motioned, but was defeated, until this budget action, to discontinue spending for board members to travel to conferences all over the US at taxpayers expense. Both Eric and Ron have high dollar travel costs paid by the taxpayers of CASD. Ron has yet to reimburse the district for his wife's travel expenses paid recently with CASD tax dollars.

The budget vote and recent other actions of the apparent, new non-political pro student and taxpayers, board majority, brings me much peace of mind for now, and hope for the future.

I am also very very proud to say that the CASD Board Members along with our godsend, CFO, Dr. Brenda Haws Conner, have responsibly and respectfully addressed our declining enrollment and declining dollars as best we could and within the rules and regulations dictated to us by our PA State Legislatures.

Sincerely,
Sharon Scott
Fiscal Chair
School Board Member
Coatesville Area School District