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Published with permission of Anthony D'Antonio
You can also read this on the Medford Transcript
http://medford.wickedlocal.com/article/20150615/NEWS/150617670
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ANTHONY D'ANTONIO: Library, school budgets cause for concern

By Anthony D’Antonio


MEDFORD

Let’s take a quick look at the recent allocation to the city budget for the Medford Public Library.

I want to thank the citizen’s group(s) for being the driving force to make the mayor finally realize that his last six years of inaction for caring for the library had come to roost.

Citizen voices were heard loud and clear, and, with the support from the City Council, corrective action has finally been taken to enhance our public library. A job well done Medford citizens!

Credit for this matter having a new beginning for the library and ending six years of not certifying the library’s state status with six annual waivers should go to the city councilors and citizens who have declared the need for funds for the library for years but received nothing but inaction.

Just think, if the mayor and former budget director had included just half of the $250,000 over the last four years, we would have had $500,000 available for the library.

Can you imagine? What a novel idea, to plan for development and maintenance for such an important part of our community…our library.

But, when the director of the Medford Public Library is told by the former budget director, now a candidate for mayor, to not submit the library director’s needs for the council to review, just what kind of message is that sending to the citizens?

Alternatively, it seemed more important for this administration to find ways to “bloat” the school budget with administrative positions under the pretense of enhancing the educational aspects of the schools.

Don’t believe me? Look at the School Department budget from last year to this year’s budget.

It is not my intention to cast aspersions upon anyone, but once someone takes the time, as I have, to extrapolate numbers from the ledgers and examine the budgets, both municipal and school, you will get an idea of the lack of business discipline and political interference that exists in our administration.

In closing, my opinion and belief is, I would hope that the School Committee members who may be re-elected and those who may be elected this November see the importance and necessity of terminating immediately, the current superintendent of Medford Public Schools. The numbers do not lie.

Then, and only then, will Medford School’s flourish.

— Anthony D’Antonio is a Medford resident.