Trustees Ease Limits on Budget Queries

Trustees at the county Board of Education have voted to allow board members to demand various types of budget information on an individual basis. Previously, such requests had to be approved by the entire board.

Typical requests might include information on employee travel expenses, how much money was spent on workshops or the cost of materials for certain projects, said county administrator Stan Mantooth.

There is no cost limit per request, but the board’s administrative budget this year is capped at $12,000.

Earlier this summer, Mantooth lugged in five boxes full of photocopies--at a cost of almost $1,500--to set down at each board member’s desk. The boxes were full of travel expenses and receipts for every county employee during the 1995-1996 school year.

The policy was approved by a 3-2 vote Monday night. Trustees Janet Lindgren and Al Rosen voted against the change, noting that it would be costly to the county and time-consuming for the superintendent’s staff. This type of public information is available at the county superintendent’s office anyway, they said.

County Supt. Charles Weis said printing up this extra material is wasteful.

“Once you’ve glanced at it, you’re going to throw it away,” he said, adding that he believes the board should act as a unit, not as individuals.

“It is my opinion that everyone on the Board of Education has different interests, different expertise and different methods to approach a subject,” said board President Marty Bates. “Thus, when we are voting on a budget-related issue, we should have information that will lend itself [to the subject].”

Bates added that there currently is no reason to suspect any wrongdoing but repeated that it is the “board’s responsibility to evaluate every dollar that is spent.”