Columbus Ward 5 City Councilman Kabir Karriem made a motion twice this morning for the resignations of the city school district”s board of trustees, but both attempts failed.
The first motion failed for lack of a second; the second motion failed 3-2, with Karriem and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens voting for the City Council to draft a letter requesting board members” resignations and Councilmen Bill Gavin, Gene Taylor and Charlie Box voting against. Councilman Fred Stewart wasn”t present for the meeting.
Mayor Robert Smith and council members expressed frustration with the Columbus Municipal School District”s five-member board, saying they have made four requests to meet with the full board to discuss CMSD”s 2012 budget, but the board has ignored their requests.
Smith said the school board has agreed instead to meet with the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link Friday at 7:30 a.m. at the Thad Cochran Building at Mississippi University for Women to discuss the issue. Lowndes County Tax Assessor Greg Andrews will be present to discuss the proposed millage increases and their impact on local industry.
The council, which is in the process of drawing up the city”s budget for next year, has been waiting to receive CMSD”s final budget to know how much money the city schools are asking for in ad valorem taxes. Kenneth Hughes, chief financial officer for CMSD, has said that the school district would need at least a 9-mill tax increase, but in a press conference Tuesday, CMSD Board President Glenn Lautzenhiser said there was “no way” they would ask for that much and that the increase would be “modest.”
“This body appoints them, and we can”t handle city business because they refuse to meet with us,” Karriem said, adding that he felt it showed “no respect” for the council and that the council “doesn”t have any confidence in the school board and their decisions.”
The school board is required to submit its budget to the city council by Aug. 15.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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