Page A8, Wednesday, March 9, 2011 Carroll County Times

LOCAL/REGION

Corbett budget totals $27.3 billion, no new taxes

Pennsylvania governor calls for $1B cut for public schools
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARRISBURG, Pa. — In
his first budget as Pennsyl-
vania governor, Tom Cor-
bett called Tuesday for a $1
billion cut in state spending
for public schools and the
elimination of hundreds of
state jobs Tuesday in a $27.3
billion budget that he said
separates “the must- haves
from the nice-to-haves.”
The Republican Tuesday
also threw down the gaunt-
let to organized labor, warn-
ing unions that represent
75,000 state employees he
will be seeking concessions
in salaries and benefits in
contract talks that are ex-
pected to begin soon. And
he suggested that unionized
teachers and other school
employees voluntarily agree
to a one-year salary freeze
to save their cash- strapped
school districts money.
“If government is here to
share the taxpayers’
wealth, then everyone
needs to share in the sacri-
fice,” he said.
The leader of the largest
state employee union said
Corbett’s call for conces-
sions was not unexpected
and that he welcomed the
governor’s willingness to
negotiate over contracts to
replace the current ones,
which expire in June.
“The good news is that
he’s not going down the
Wisconsin path,” said David
Fillman, director of Council
13 of the American Federa-
tion of State, County and
Municipal Employees, re-
ferring to attempts by Wis-
consin Gov. Scott Walker to
strip most public employees
of their collective bargain-
ing rights.
Corbett’s budget for the
fiscal year that starts July 1
reflects a decrease of about
3 percent from this year’s
spending level and assumes
that improving state tax col-
lections will help produce a
surplus of more than a half-
billion dollars by the end of
the current year and grow
again next year.
In keeping with his cam-
paign pledge to avoid tax in-
creases, Corbett attacked the
projected $4 billion deficit
as a product of unsustain-
able spending increases and
budget gimmicks that
propped them up until now.

French The event was organized

From Page A1
“We hope they walk away
with a greater understand-
ing of a few more words
and [greater] cultural and
linguistic understanding,”
Motard- Noar said. “We
hope we inspire a curiosity
to be interested and con-
tinue French.”
four years ago by Denise
Diegel, a French teacher at
Westminster High School,
as a way to increase the
awareness of French offer-
ings in Carroll County,
Diegel said.
“French teachers are al-
ways fighting for more stu-
dents,” she said. “More
students are taking Spanish
because of the worldwide
use and the perceived no-
tion that it’s easier.”
The event has grown sub-
stantially over the last four
years and Motard- Noar
said, although they would
like it to keep growing, they
are now at maximum ca-
pacity for their budget.
Students pay for their
lunch and McDaniel Col-
lege provides the lessons
and entertainment and cov-
ers the majority of the cost
to take a national exam,
Motard- Noar said.
Aside from dining on
French cuisine, students
also took the national
French competitive exam,
sponsored by the Ameri-
can Association of Teach-
ers of French, to assess
their skill level, Motard-
Noar said.
The test is a nationwide
exam that allows students
to compare their skill level
to other students in Mary-
land and the United States.
Students were also treated
to a variety of activities and
presentations from Mc-
Daniel professors, allowing
them to see what college-
level lectures are like.
Aside from linguistics and
grammar, presentations in-
cluded cultural topics, such
as the origins of Mardi Gras
and famous French celebri-
ties.
“We want them to see
what’s behind it,” Motard-
Noar said. “It’s not just
about grades and text-
books.”
Reach staff writer Megan
McKeever at 410- 857-7898
or megan.mckeever@carr
ollcountytimes.com.

Bus Budget FY11 AND FY12 COMPARISON

From Page A1 From Page A1 In Millions FY11 Budgeted FY11 Projected FY12 Budgeted Changed in budgeted years

pending further interviews, said 1st Before the deadline, the Total Growth $349 $349.7 $354.3 $5.3
Sgt. James Hockett, of the Westmin- board of commissioners Property tax $192 $192.4 $191.4 - $0.6
ster barrack. will hold multiple work Income tax $102 $103 $108 $6
School officials were also investigat- sessions, a public hearing Recordation $10 $8 $8 - $2
ing the incident Tuesday, including in- and press conference on Interest $0.9 $1.2 $1.2 $0.3
terviewing students who’d been on the the FY12 budget. Collective $24.2 $25.2 $24.8 $0.6
bus who may have seen what hap- The agencies, which revenue sources
pened, according to Michael Hardesty, have met with the board
director of transportation services Various $19.9 $19.9 $20.9 $1
for the past few months,
with Carroll County Public Schools. could have their budgets
The bus’s driver reported Monday impacted if it has been work with ... we can move the process much more
that the bus skidded on some ice and determined there is over- through the process slowly. FY12 BUDGET TIMELINE
slid past the bus stop and that the stu- lapping services, if finan- much more productively “We’ve set ourselves
dent had fallen, Hardesty said.
cial circumstances have March 15, 17, 22, 24, 29-31: Meet with
He said neither the bus driver nor and focus on specific up to move through the
changed or if they have process pretty well.” agencies
the nurse who examined and talked to questions,” Howard said.
the boy at the school reported that identified they can per- Mid-April: Proposed work sessions
form the same services “If we had waited [to Reach staff writer Mid-April: Proposed budget press confer-
he’d been hit by the bus.
with less, Howard said. meet with the agencies] Christian Alexandersen ence
“Now that we know a and did that during the at 410- 857-7873 or chris
Reach staff writer Ryan Marshall at Early May: Public hearing on the budget
410-857-7865 or ryan.marshall@carroll lot about what they do, budget process, we tian.alexandersen@carr May 24: Budget adoption
countytimes.com. who they are, who they would’ve moved through ollcountytimes.com.

Ordinance
From Page A1
TownMall of Westminster
to repair it within 30 days or
risk being charged for the
work if the town is forced to
Last 4 Days!
repair it.
Miller said the town has-
n’t had to deal with the
issue of sidewalk repairs
before because most of the
older neighborhoods in
OUR BIGGEST
ORIENTAL RUG
Sykesville do not have side-
walks. Some of the side-
walks in newer neigh-
borhoods are just starting to
deteriorate, making it nec-

TRUCKLOAD SALE EVER!

essary to address the issue
now, Miller said.
While he said he agrees
with the principal of the
proposed ordinance, he
worries language concern-
ing both issues may be too
subjective.
“When is a sidewalk con-
Thursday, March 10th to Sunday, March 13th
% %
SAVE 50 to 80 off
sidered clear of snow?”
Miller said. “If there is some
melting and ice that forms
on the sidewalk, does the
resident need to go out and
break up the ice?” Tktd.
There should be specific prices
language addressing those
criteria, he said, as well as Choose From Hundreds of Rugs
what constitutes a damaged
sidewalk. s 4RADITIONAL CONTEMPORARY OR COUNTRY mORAL STYLES
Town Manager Matt Can-
dland said there are charac-
teristics they can include in
s !LL SIZES AVAILABLE FROM MATS TO LARGE ROOM RUGS
the ordinance, such as if the
sidewalk is heaved or
cracked it needs to be re-
paired, that will make it ob-
jective.
Councilmember Julia
Betz said even if there are
objective measures in place,
she has mixed feelings on
who should be held ac-
countable for damaged
sidewalks. She said the
town doesn’t have the
money to maintain its side-
walks, but doesn’t know if
residents can be held re-
sponsible for maintenance
either.
“There are issues with eq-
uity that need to be ad-
dressed,” Betz said. “Making
homeowners responsible
for these repairs all of a sud-
den will be a hard sell.”
Betz said when she
bought her house with a
sidewalk in the front, she
never thought she might be
responsible for repairing it.
“Had I known, I could
have just as easily bought a
house on the other side of
the street where there isn’t
a sidewalk,” Betz said. “That
isn’t fair for residents.”
The council will hold a
public hearing on the pro-
posed ordinance during its
meeting Monday.

Reach staff writer Caro- 12 MONTHS - NO INTERESTX

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countytimes.com.