Community member and frequent contributor “PoorRichard” has submitted the following open letter regarding some of the major financial issues hanging over this municipal election in Belleville.
Are you kidding me?
As suspected, the Board of Education is out of money. Where did $1.4 Million dollars go? ($1,388,928.00).
Check item 2 under “Resolutions” of the Board’s Agenda.
We need to ask the Board of Education.
At tomorrow night’s meeting ( May 7th ) let’s ask the Board of Education’s financial wizards Joe Longo and Bill Freda how they spent 1.4 million dollars more than they were supposed to by law. I guess Longo and Freda didn’t read their own Belleville Times article about being “fiscally responsible”. My guess is they don’t even know what that means.
At this point, Longo and Freda admit they have overspent their budget by 1.4 million dollars. With all the discrepancies in their audits, who knows how much has really disappeared. They are the magician that made it disappear. However, it is not really magic when you look behind the curtain. $3.2 Million not in the budget given to Clarity. $ 1.2 million in additional administrative salaries…. It is very easy to find if you look.
We should also ask Longo and Freda how many teachers will receive a RIF (reduction in force) notice on May 15th.
It’s sad that these teachers had to donate all that money and time just to find out they are losing their jobs 2 days after the election.
Magic seems to be the key theme of the Longo, Freda, Strumolo-Burke Campaign.
Perhaps, Councilwoman Strumolo-Burke is using Longo and Freda’s “magic” to figure our tax increases as well. For many of us our taxes did go up but her figures are pure fiction. I believe the average annual tax increase over the last 8 years is about 3.29 %
Has anyone checked Strumolo Burke’s taxes to see how much she pays?
Councilwoman Strumolo-Burke paid $3,883.68 in taxes on her house at 69 Heckel Street in 2013. Using the Longo and Freda magic calculator with the 64% factor would mean Strumolo Burke would have paid less than $2,400.00 in 2006. That is pure fiction. In her case, she probably is paying less in taxes today then in 2006. Using the average real estate tax of $8,314.00 for a home in Belleville, Marie Strumolo-Burke is paying less than half what you and I pay.
What an insult to Belleville’s residents. Do they really think we will believe anything ?
Last night, Senator Ron Rice told a group of Belleville residents and employees how appalled he was at the racist comments made by Belleville Democratic Chair Marie Strumolo-Burke. He is the only democrat so far that has stepped forward to express their disgust at these remarks.
Today, many of us received a mailer from the Belleville Democratic Committee at 69 Heckel Street. Should we assume that the County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and Essex County Democratic Chair Leroy Jones support Marie Strumolo Burke’s remarks?
One final question:
What is the County going to do about all those absentee ballots where the application signatures are different then the ballot signatures? I hope your name isn’t on those ballot returns.
PoorRichard
Update:
69 Heckel Street
Tax Update $3601 in 2006.
$3884 in 2013
Since 2006 Councilwoman Stumolo-Burkes taxes only went up 7.8 % or approximately 1.1 % per year.
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