Did you know that the number of administrators employed by the Great Falls Public School District is now one more than it was at this time last year? The number of administrators, which includes school principals, has gone from 42 to 43 with a reported salary cost of $4.2 million.
This was confirmed by GFPS Superintendent Tammy Lacey in an email to a citizen dated January 16, 2018:
“I confirm that the number of administrators increased by one but contend that the quantity of work and more importantly, the quality of the work…are worth adding to the administrative footprint.” – Tammy Lacey, January 16, 2018
“I confirm that the number of administrators increased by one…”
If you figure in the standard multiplying factor of 1.5 used by most employers to calculate the actual cost of employees that comes out to around $6.3 million.
Maybe it’s time to consider whether the GFPS has too many high-paid generals and not enough boots on the ground. It appears they are not hearing our message to cut back on administration costs.
Maybe the taxpayers need to send that message a lot more loudly and a lot more clearly this May 8th when it comes time to vote on the school tax increase.
The Great Falls Public School District is currently running a campaign to promote another school tax increase and they’re paying for it, in part, with our tax money. One of their favorite slogans is “Facts Matter” yet the fact that our tax dollars are being used to convince us to give them even more of our tax dollars is a fact that they never seem to mention.
But we agree – facts do indeed matter. That is why E-City Beat will be posting brief facts about our school district and it’s funding on a regular basis starting with the following:
Do school levies ever expire?
The short answer is ‘No’. Levies are different from bonds which do expire after the voted upon time period – usually 20 years. Levies become part of the permanent funding that school districts rely on in order to build their budgets each year.
Here is a description of the difference between the two:
Bonds and levies are two different ways for a municipality to raise revenue. A bond is debt, offered to the public, which must eventually be repaid with interest. By contrast, a levy is a tax that towns and counties impose on local property owners in order to raise money for services.
“The bottom line is that we are all still paying taxes on the levies that were voted upon in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and every year since that a levy passed. That also means that we are obligating future generations forever to the tax increases that may pass on May 8th this year.”
The bottom line is that we are all still paying taxes on the levies that were voted upon in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and every year since that a levy passed. That also means that we are obligating future generations forever to the tax increases that may pass on May 8th this year.
Editor’s note: This is our continuing series of profiles for local legislative candidates. Each state House and Senate candidate in the Great Falls area was given the opportunity to submit, in their own words, a brief profile outlining why they’re running, what party they represent and why they are the best candidate for the position. You can see the full list of local candidates here.
Democrat Bob Moretti and Libertarian Kevin Leatherbarrow are the other candidates in Senate District 13 and they did not respond to our request for a profile.
State Senator Brian Hoven
Why are you running for the office?
I want to make a meaningful contribution to benefit present and future generations of Montanans. As a native of Great Falls and local business owner for 40 years, I’m confident I can successfully represent the priorities and values of Senate District 13 and Montana. I care about our citizens and their families and want to provide the opportunities to improve their lives.
Why are you running as a Republican?
I believe everyone prospers with a growing economy and thriving business community. With 55 years of business experience, I’ve learned that lowering taxes, eliminating excessive regulation and stopping frivolous litigation promotes business growth and job creation. On the hand, I realize that smart government, fair taxes and sensible regulations are necessary for public services, safety nets for the less fortunate, and equal opportunity for all our citizens. My job as a legislator is to find the right balance, and that requires and open mind.
What makes you the best candidate in the race?
There’s no substitute for experience, both private and public sector, and my resume speaks for itself:
1. Graduate of Princeton University, B.A. Science and Engineering
2. Manufacturing manager for Proctor and Gamble, 1963 to 1977
3. Founded Hoven Equipment, a farm equipment dealership, with wife Barbara in Great Falls in 1978. Today, Hoven Equipment provides 28 people with good jobs and benefits.
4. Elected to House District 24 in 2008, re-elected in 2010 and 2012; elected to Senate District 13 in 2014
5. Served on the Taxation Committee and Agriculture Committee for five legislative sessions
While serving in the Montana Legislature, I’ve supported free enterprise, disciplined budgets, education funding, access to public lands, responsible natural resource development, and Medicaid expansion with co-pays and job skills inventories. Equally important, I’ve supported help for the elderly and opportunities for people with disabilities. If re-elected I’ll do more of the same.
Editor’s note: This is the first in our series of profiles for local legislative candidates. Each state House and Senate candidate in the Great Falls area was given the opportunity to submit, in their own words, a brief profile outlining why they’re running, what party they represent and why they are the best candidate for the position. You can see the full list of local candidates here.
Democrat Carlie Boland is the other candidate in Senate District 12 and she did not respond to our request for a profile.
1.Why am I running for office? First and foremost to bring COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS to the issues faced by our state! I have been blessed to have been married almost 37 years to my wonderful wife and raised our six children in Great Falls. We have been blessed by our businesses and I want to give back by serving in Montana’s Senate district #12. Lola Sheldon-Galloway my beautiful wife currently serves as a representative in House District 22. Supporting her in her role in the last session I have been inspired to also participate in our privileged right of self government. Sharing in her experience in the last session has educated me and prepared me in the processes of our legislature. Please do your part as a citizen of the greatest country on Earth and participate by registering and voting in our electoral process!
2.Why am I running as a Republican?
We believe in limited government! We believe that our state’s financial woes are not from lack of taxes but rather from over spending, lack of planning and lack of oversight. We believe in reducing government. Local issues are best addressed by local government! We believe in the Constitution of the United States of America.
3. What makes me the best candidate in this race? First, I am 3rd generation Montanan, hometown boy, born and raised in Great Falls and want to see it be even greater.
I want to apply my business management experience and knowledge from twelve years in construction trades, over thirty years in food service, over thirty years in retail building materials and hardware sales, over 42 years as a landlord and in property management. I know how to balance budgets, cut waste, increase productivity with training and positive reinforcement!
I have served as a boy scout leader, coached kids in many sports, served in our church as a teacher, counselor, executive secretary and auditor.
My sister Susan Galloway was murdered in 1982, that very trying experience taught me how our justice system functions and what empathy is. Our family has had to testify at parole hearings many times to keep her killer out of our society. Our family has missed her so much!
I have learned it is absolutely necessary to look beyond the obvious when passing legislation to understand the cause and effect it will have on current and future generations. My parents instilled in me a relentless work ethic. The world has given me many trials to over come and the Lord has blessed me to understand He can make up the difference, if I give my best! I am always willing to listen and work to have a common prospective on issues.
So my simple mantra is I will bring COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS.
I encourage you to vote for me.
Let’s all get involved! We need your help with yard signs, phone calls, mailers, going door to door or even host a social for my campaign!
Thank you for your time!
Did you know that the City of Great Falls is spending Great Falls taxpayers money to promote a ballot measure to, wait for it…get more of Great Falls taxpayers money!
The Great Falls Parks and Recreation Department’s yearly Summer Guide, paid for with our tax dollars, came out today in the Tribune and last week at various locations and it was filled with “information” about the new proposed consolidated Park District tax which will be on the ballot this May, including warnings of the dire consequences if voters don’t vote in favor of it and a big, red “VOTE MAY 8, 2018”.
In addition, city staff, paid for by our tax dollars, has been busy with “informational” presentations and flyers and meetings with Mayor Kelly and others. Your city government has been using its resources and moolah, our tax dollars, to promote the Park District plan. And the cost of that plan to taxpayers?:
“The cost of the proposed improvements for the district is $1.5 million annually for the first three years; the assessment method will be based on taxable value; the estimated 2018 assessment for a property with a 2017 Market Value of $100,000 would be $22.92 per year ($1.91/month). The amount of the assessment can be adjusted annually and must be set by resolution and adopted by the City Commission.” – (emphasis added) https://greatfallsmt.net/recreation/great-falls-park-district-number-1
This expenditure of your money by the city in a campaign to get more of your money is made possible because the City of Great Falls formed an Incidental Political Committee registered with the Montana Office of Political Practices for the purpose of influencing the May election in favor of the Park District levy. The City of Great Falls Incidental Committee lists Melissa Kinzler as Treasurer. Ms. Kinzler is also the Director of Fiscal Services for the City of Great Falls.
It appears that so far the city has spent $6052.78 to promote the Park District plan to get more of our money. Here is a detailed accounting.
This kind of stuff shouldn’t surprise anyone here. Remember last year when the city spent $16,403.35 (not including labor cost) on a full color fancy brochure mail insert promoting the Park District levy which they included with the tax levy protest form! You can’t make this stuff up.
So even though they are not explicitly declaring “VOTE YES FOR THE PARK DISTRICT” in their “informational presentations”, which would not be permitted even under the label of an incidental committee, the City of Great Falls is nevertheless promoting a big new local tax and they are using your tax dollars to do it.
“So even though they are not explicitly declaring “VOTE YES FOR THE PARK DISTRICT” in their “informational presentations”, which would not be permitted even under the label of an incidental committee, the City of Great Falls is nevertheless promoting a big new local tax and they are using your tax dollars to do it.”
Big kudos and many thanks to those who have put their hats in the ring to run for local/state political office. It takes a lot of work to run a campaign and a lot of courage to put your name on the line with very little thanks or financial remuneration (in most cases).
Yesterday, 3/12/18, was the deadline for candidates to file for state legislative seats. Below is the latest list of local Great Falls area candidates who have filed. A few points we found worth noting:
There are no uncontested seats in either the Senate or House races.
Senate District 13 includes a Libertarian candidate.
No primaries in the Senate races.
A 2-way GOP primary in HD19, 3-way GOP primary in HD21, and a 3-way Democrat primary in HD25.
Senate Races
House Races
Stay tuned to E-City Beat for regular updates and coverage of Election 2018, including candidate questionnaires and non-legislative races.
If you’re considering running for local party precinct committee member positions, county offices, or state and federal offices, the deadline to file is 5:00 PM Monday, March 12.
There are also three Great Falls Public Schools Board of Trustees seats up for election on May 8. The deadline to file as a candidate for the school board is 5:00 PM Thursday, March 29.
According to a new poll from Axios, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) might be in a little bit of trouble this year.
Tester is getting pounded to the tune of 55-42 against the generic “Republican,” presumably Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale.
From his shameless sycophancy to Big Pharma, to his flip-flopping on DACA, to his #Resistance-styled obstructionism that is to the left of even Chuck Schumer — Tester joined socialists Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders as one of the lonely 18 “resisters” who voted to continue the failed Schumer Shutdown, even as Schumer himself voted to re-open the government — Jon Tester appears increasingly and remarkably out of touch with Montana values.
The following was posted on Facebook by Great Falls mom Kelsie Semple on Tuesday, February 27th, 2018. E-City Beat is publishing the post with Kelsie’s permission.
The content is unedited. There are minor formatting edits for easier readability.
You can find responses from Big Sky Bus Lines and the Great Falls Public School District in KFBB’s news footage here.
“After what could have been a tragic event, I feel that it is my obligation AS A MOTHER to let everyone, who has young children that attend the Skyline Preschool, and ride Big Sky Bus Lines to school everyday, know what happened to my FIVE year old this morning!
At 8:06 this morning, I put my five year old daughter on bus #19 to start her every day routine to the skyline preschool. At around 945am, I received an automatic phone call saying my daughter was marked absent today. I then messaged my daughter’s teacher immediately, questioning why she was marked absent when I had placed her on the morning bus myself. She replied that my daughter was not at school and that she was going to call Big Sky Bus Lines, and told me ‘not to panic’. She called me after about 10 minutes and told my daughter never got off the bus! At this point I am put in a complete panic and wondering where my daughter is!!
Without any hesitation, I started to drive to the bus depot.
On the way there, a deputy from the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office called me and let me know that he had my daughter! So thankful that I put my name and number on the inside lining of her coat, I was able to meet up with him and the other families who had so graciously pulled off the side of the road to stay with my sweet Presley. Did I mention she was on the Old Havre HIGHWAY?!
She had fallen asleep on the bus and woke up at the bus depot, where she was able to push open the bus door and then run to find someone else because she was all alone. The families had said she was waving at cars on the side of the highway. And she described to me that she was “waving at people for help”.
My only intention in letting you all know about this extreme, unfortunate event is to, hold someone accountable! It is completely unacceptable!! If the bus driver and the teacher’s aide were following appropriate protocols, my daughter would NOT have been left on that bus, and would be enjoying her day at school, instead of being scared to be left alone again!
‘My only intention in letting you all know about this extreme, unfortunate event is to, hold someone accountable! It is completely unacceptable!! If the bus driver and the teacher’s aide were following appropriate protocols, my daughter would NOT have been left on that bus, and would be enjoying her day at school, instead of being scared to be left alone again!’
I can’t describe the feeling that came over me after hearing all of this happen this morning. And I am so unbelievably grateful for those who stayed and waited with her, and that no serious harm came to Presley today.”
Perpetually Angry Reader Dennis Granlie is at it again. This morning, the former GFPS music teacher unleashed another broadside against E-City Beat, even attacking our readers.
While there is little doubt that Granlie derives self-edification from spewing the same personal attacks time and again, it is disappointing that he cannot move beyond the staid “losers” schtick. Even invective deserves originality.
For those who know Granlie, his preference for ad hominem attacks over substantive engagement on issues comes as little surprise — this itself, an admission of Granlie’s lack of any real ideas. While we would welcome a sincere, policy-centered discussion with Granlie, he (again) seems incapable of submitting anything but incoherent rage.
