The Columbus Municipal School District’s budget hearing Thursday evening was dispiriting.
Responding to the ruckus caused by the announcement of a tax increase necessitated by a $1 million shortfall in its FY17 budget, the district said it will dip into its diminishing reserves instead.
In other words, the district is kicking the can down the road.
Barring some unforeseen turn of events, a significant tax increase on homes and businesses is coming.
That news was delivered before a large audience, including the mayor, city administrators and many of the city councilmen.
However, that was not the most discouraging aspect of the meeting.
What should have been an opportunity to explore and understand the crisis and work toward building a strategy to address it, instead became a spectacle, a childish display of bickering between school district and city officials featuring juvenile theatrics and needless formalities that resembled more of an inquisition than a discussion.
Angela Verdell ran the meeting as though she were conducting the McCarthy Hearings.
Those wishing to speak were told to submit their questions on index cards. Verdell then selected a card and summoned the person responsible for it to the podium, where the person was told to give his/her name and be videoed by the recording system in the meeting room. The person was then told to ask the question that had already submitted on the card.
Police lineups have more dignity.
CMSD business administrator Tammie Holmes’ presentation was combative, accusing the city of not passing school tax cuts to the taxpayers.
City officials, who chose to speak, seemed especially offended, leading at least one observer to note that given the city council’s less than inviting attitude toward public speakers at their own meetings, they were getting a taste of their own medicine.
Verdell’s combative tone eliminated any hope of a respectful, constructive discussion of the crisis.
City officials did not comport themselves well, either. During the presentations, many of them called attention to themselves by their body language. Councilman Bill Gavin repeatedly interrupted the presentation, something he surely would have not tolerated from an audience member at a council meeting.
Mayor Robert Smith, who Verdell seemed to go out of her way to annoy, smirked. His interaction with the board oozed with cynicism.
When it was finally over, the net result of the meeting was an increased hostility between the school board and city leaders. If anything, the meeting was a step backwards.
Desperately needed Thursday evening was a true leader, someone who could build consensus to find a path forward.
There was no evidence of such leader.
Ultimately, that might be the larger crisis facing our city.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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