THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 5, 1997 TAG: 9701030014
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 28 lines
As I read the Dec. 24 MetroNews section, I got a sinking feeling, thanks to the Virginia Beach City Council's inability to direct responsibility and accountability of school budgets. I, like the rest of the voting citizens of Virginia Beach, elected council members to oversee the city's budget and to ensure the city's financial security. This includes the authority to levy taxes, make improvements for a better quality of life and approve expenditures of all city departments. I guess I was naive to believe this was a degree of accountability, checks and balances.
It appears council and the School Board are more concerned about back- biting and who would ultimately get the blame should the public trust ($$$) be misplaced again. There is an obvious misgiving or misguidance between these two factions. Maybe we as citizens should ponder the development of an ordinance to recall elected officials who feel they do not want to be held accountable.
If council and the School Board do not want to take responsibility of budgets that may cause a tax increase or decrease, then let the citizens vote on it. This has already occurred in many cities. Guess what? Many increases for overinflated budgets never received approval.
NICK SITARSKI
Virginia Beach, Dec. 27, 1996