Voi. 18, No. 9
Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley'
For the Community..
7. ;.'" •
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No info yet on advertising police cars
Vernonia Police Chief Mike
Cahill and City Administrator
Mike Sykes, at the April 21 city
council meeting, reported find
ing very little about the program
to fund police cars with sponsor
advertising on the cars.
The program was presented
Local Budgets 101
Because a lot of current
news, locally, countywide,
statewide or federal is about
budgets, The Independent
has prepared a sort of Basic
Budget outline for local gov
ernments, which includes
cities, school and fire dis
tricts, and counties.
Those who are interested
will find it on page 21. Those
who are not interested, may
easily ignore it.
to the council previously, with
the explanation that the cars
are paid for by a company that
sells advertising rights on the
cars. The lack of information
about results of the program is
because nobody in Oregon, in
fact, in the U.S., according to
Chief Cahill, has one of the
cars yet. Phoenix, Oregon,
signed with the company in No
vember, but there is no car yet.
Director of Public Works
Robyn Basset reported that the
sidewalk and bike lane project
has been approved, though a
firm date has not been set. The
project is to install pedestrian
and bicycle improvements, ie.,
sidewalks and bike lanes, on
East Bridge Street from Texas
Avenue to the green bridge.
The $453,000 project will
cost the city approximately
$46,500 in cash, plus whatever
work the city contributes.
Council approved changes
in the fee schedule for the li
brary meeting room. The
changes will allow non-profit or
ganizations to either pay a flat
fee of $10.00 for each use, or
commit to an amount of volun
teer work for the library that
would be equal to the $10 fee.
Dan Titus asked Council for
permission to establish a busi
ness, initially using a temporary
building. Mr. Titus plans to start
an equipment rental business
at Bridge Street and Rose Av
enue. The property is surround
ed with a cyclone fence, but
doesn’t have a building. The
council approved the request
with conditions.
May 1, 2003
Big cuts for 47J; full
year remains so far
‘The current loss of state
revenue is devastating to the
After delivering the budget
infrastructure of Oregon and message,
Funderburg re
destroying K-12 education,” viewed the district’s motto, vi
said Vernonia School District sion statement, and guiding
Superintendent Mike Funder- principles. (Copies available in
burg, at the April 24 budget the district office.) He then gave
committee meeting, adding that a detailed presentation of the
the state school fund has been work of the Budget Assistance
reduced by over a half billion Team (BAT), which used these
($501.9 million) dollars since philosophical statements of
schools adopted their budgets purpose to develop budget
for the present fiscal year goals for the 2003-2005 bienni
(2002-2003).
um. Budget goals establish a
Budget adjustments in Ver framework within which budget
nonia have included absorbing decisions can be made that
positions reduced by attrition, support the underlying philoso
reduction in force, elimination phy of education in the district.
of six school days, reduced Goals set by BAT are:
program offerings, and freezing
• The district will provide the
all non-required expenditures. necessary instructional re
Funderburg told the committee sources to ensure student suc
that the district is still in the cess. Instructional resources
process of completing the include adequate numbers of
budget for the current year current state-adopted text
while, at the same time, build books and updated technology
ing a budget for 2003-2004.
to compete in a global society.
As he presented the budget
• The district will maintain
message to a well-attended safe and healthy physical facili
budget committee meeting ties that provide an environ
April 24, Funderberg left no ment for a quality learning ex
doubt that the budget process perience.
for the 2003-04 fiscal year
• The district will offer profes
would be both grim and difficult. sional development opportuni
The budget adopted last ties for all employees. Through
spring, for the current fiscal training, the staff will be expect
year, was $5,194,730. Based ed to lead students to higher
on latest state projections, Fun levels of achievement.
derburg told the committee that Declining enrollment
they must develop a budget at
Funderburg also presented
$4,610,006, reflecting both loss the committee with current en
of state revenue and declining rollment figures. Enrollment has
enrollment. “The task before dropped in Vernonia since 1996
this committee is monumental,” when the district had 842 stu
Funderburg emphasized.
dents. Many factors contribute
The Vernonia School District
to decreased enrollment, includ
Budget Committee is composed
ing the graduation of the chil
of the seven school board mem
dren from the “mini-baby boom”
bers plus seven community
(children whose parents were
members appointed by the
Baby Boomers), and increased
board. A Budget Assistance
enrollment in home and private
Team composed of staff, three
school settings. Current district
board members and three com
enrollment is 698 students, in
munity budget committee mem
bers has been working with pre
cluding special education stu
liminary figures for several
dents, some of whom are served
weeks.)
Please see page 14