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Editorial: Lessons Learned from Capital Project |
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 17 February 2006 |
The taxpayers are revolting. All over New York taxpayers are saying no to new projects, fees and taxes. Ithaca said no more money for the County library. And before Lansing could officially say no the Board of Education (BOE) withdrew its plan to ask the voters to support a $30 - $40 million capital project.
That was a smart move. The BOE had built the project including almost all the elements that would make it good for the schools, students and program. They started with a "wish list" that prioritized needs at the top, program priorities, and then "wants." They almost immediately cut it in half. They pruned it and tweaked it to make sure it was eligible for the most possible amount of State aid. They only forgot one thing.
The taxpayers. It was a very striking moment when the new Superintendent of Schools proposed that a committee of taxpayers be formed, only one month before the BOE was to vote on the final scope of the project, to get a sense of community support. It was about the first thing he did when he got here, and while the BOE was generally supportive of the idea there was skepticism about what it could accomplish, especially at such a late date. Why was this a new idea so late in the process?
As it turned out, the committee was inquisitive, perceptive, and very vocal. With an already high tax burden, residents wanted to know exactly why they should fork over more cash. They didn't want to know generally why. They wanted the details.
Already the BOE has benefited from this lesson. They chose not to bring the proposal to an April vote that had a good chance of failing, and in this week's meeting when faced with a plan to bring it to a December vote they said, "Hoooolllld on, thar, Babalooey! Let's take the time to get the public informed and involved and come up with a project they will accept." Lesson learned.
Lansing Community Library Center officials have said they have learned from this experience and from the failed County Library initiative. Even thought they have a proven record of fiscal responsibility and community support, they have put their charter plans on hold to build a stronger base and increase their record of success before they ask for taxpayer support. They want to show their public exactly what they are asking for and why it will be worth it. I guess that's how they earned that proven record.
Other municipal initiatives in Lansing such as the sewer project and the fire district (that wants to build a new fire house in the Village) would do well to learn from this as well. It just makes sense to get the public involved at an early stage, because the public is ultimately going to vote for or against paying more taxes to support it.
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