We still get tips that are worth fleshing out in greater detail and this is one of them. I’ll preface the post by saying it is based upon rumors floating around among more informed circles of citizens there in Bay-Waveland.
Special Called Agenda by Slabbed on Scribd
The agenda embedded above looks innocuous enough but there is something interesting too in the executive session. Typically you only see those in special called meetings when there is something big brewing such as a sex scandal involving students and faculty or all the other myriad of ways people create disasters. The special called meeting on the 2nd of August above comes less than a week after another special called meeting on July 28th that tackled contracts that needed to be approved in advance of school starting etc. The board packet is posted to the webpage for that meeting as well, an informational item that is missing from the meeting of August 2’s webpage at the time of publication of this post on August 4.
Finally after inquiring I did determine that no media was present at the meeting of August 2 meaning whatever happened will not see the pages of the local paper. My inquiries into the old good government gang down in the Bay indicates none were aware a special called meeting had been scheduled. With the Delta variant fueled pandemic raging, I suspect places like the Central office are not getting much public foot traffic.
I’m gonna continue to ask around to see what people in the know might share with the public. Those moved to comment are also welcome to shed some light on that meeting.
Interesting…
So the meeting on the 28th was to discuss the 37,000,000.00 bond issue at a cost of 11 mills to the taxpayers. Why was this so important for a special meeting, except to avoid the taxpayers.., somebody got some splaynin Casey!!! Hummmm… Let’s see how the new Ethics guy finds his door post for the special meat inn…
So now we are going to pay teachers $1000 to get a COVID shot??? Really.. come on. Pay to play???
One of my reliable ( I don’t fool with unreliable) sources tells me a School Board member confided to them that the School Board attorney is “advising” the Board to go for the whole $37 million at once rather than piece meal. Too funny! But it makes sense considering the legal fees involved for executing the funds.
Been a while Lana, hope you guys are doing well.
Bond Vig is the best Vig of them all for a lawyer.
We are okay so far. Hope yall are too. Just trying to avoid the “bug.” Local politics at all levels has gotten so bad it makes you want to give up. Budget time can be very revealing to say the least.
Doing okay so far. Just trying to avoid the bug. Hope yall are too. Local politics are so bad at every level it makes you want to give up.
Sorry for the repetitions. My machine had the hiccups. lol!!
That happens. Good to hear you guys are doing well.
The chatter about the closed door bond issue discussion has intensified a good bit and I am certain that it is happening. $37M doesn’t buy as much brick and mortar as it used to so I am curious as to how the money is proposed to be spent.
The Bay St. Louis School District has less students to spend public money on than they have had in about 5 years. They are up to their earlobes in artificial turf and administrative pay raises. Please tell me what they need $37 mill for???$$$
And the City of Bay St. Louis us no better. They approved 3 new Deputy City Clerks last night. Only ones asking questions were Knoblock and Reed. The city attorney ran that part of the meeting. Didn’t know professionals were allowed to influence votes on council outside of their area of expertise to the city. Bay St. Louis has a population of 13,018 to Gulfport’s 71,676. Just confirmed Gulfport has NO Deputy City Clerks— just City Clerk and his staff.
This is all orchestrated to pay for the training ( with public money, of course) for Waveland Alderman, Jeremy Burke, who is now a full time employee in the city of Bay St. Louis, Katie Fillingane Stewart, and Chanae Cardinale, whoever that is. No one asked. The vote was— yeas—DeSalvo, Seal, Lewis. Nays— Knoblock and Reed.
Adding to government at the top while their Harbor continuously operates with a spending deficit of between $418,00 to $11,000, which is never discussed, and Harbor Master is never on Agenda for a report, and City Engineer has raked in to date $501,000 for his services with 3 pay periods left in fiscal year! So, if your ditches and streets are neglected, you can see why!!!$$$ Will any if this be discussed before new budget is adopted? My guess is “ no.”
Sissy Gonzales may have more Deputies than Ricky Adam at this point. Being cooped up has given me time to read financials. I’ll get to Supervisors later$$$$ Thanks for the space and opportunity to vent!
is it legally required to follow the budget without and amendment to adjust it to reflect actual cash on hand to do it? The harbor is no more than a private country club for boat owners leaving the bulk of cost on the taxpayer to support their privilege’s! Yes and it is being swept under the rug.
I don’t know the legal answer to your question, Rod, but Council can dip into the General Fund and Municipal Reserve to carry Harbor. Right now it looks like they are just letting it slide. NEVER a discussion on deficit at a meeting in open forum. Guess we’ll see how long they can do this without putting the squeeze on the General and Reserve accounts. For instance, they are over budget in the Harbor account in legal fees for the two extra Butler Snow attorneys who are handling the lawsuit pertaining to the Harbor. That’s something else that NEVER gets discussed. Guess they can tap General and Reserve fund for that too??!!$$ Suffice it to say it all falls back on the taxpayers who are being barred from parking privileges at Harbor no matter how you cut it!
Been some action packed today folks. I’ll have a other post coming on this topic before the weekend. Good seeing the old gang out and about.
Doug< we rarely agree accept when the priveledged suck off everyone with government support!
Correction— current deficit at Municipal Harbor is $111,000.
Here is a link you may find interesting. https://mississippitoday.org/2021/08/17/how-much-does-your-mississippi-schools-superintendent-make/
Thanks, Doug. Very informative. Fox News did a special several months ago on the high salaries of school superintendents in Miss. and how the spending is in no way related to academic achievement. The Miss. legislature’s own Performance and Expenditure Review Committee , PEER, conducted a review of administrative salaries in 2002, telling the state’s law makers a ceiling should be placed on the top salaries in our poor state whose budget currently is 41% reliant on Federal funding, further recommending then money saved go to the classrooms. Our law makers , and top ranking state officials have been told this for 20 years. They couldn’t care less.