Expected Crowd Moves Budget Meeting to High School

Thursday’s Common Council has been moved to Norwalk High School auditorium at 7 p.m. in anticipation of large crowds of parents. Earlier this week, the PTO Council issued a challenge to parents to “fill the concert hall”  for the Council’s finance committee meeting. The meeting was originally supposed to take place in the Concert Hall in City Hall, but due to a scheduling conflict the meeting was moved to Norwalk High. 

At the Thursday meeting, the Council committee will continue to discuss the city’s operating budget before the entire Council votes on a “cap,,” or spending limit, on Feb. 22.  Public comments will be allowed at Thursday’s meeting.

“It’s crucial that people come out,” says Lisa Lenskold, president of the PTO Council.  “Even if they don’t speak at the meeting.”

Last week, parents and school staff came out in large numbers to Board of Estimation and Common Council presentations of the city’s operating budget.  While the BOE is requesting a 4.25 percent increase over this year’s budget, the city is recommending a 2 percent increase. “This is a tough time,” says Lenskold, “But supporting kids and education is a good investment.”

 “We need our city to make education a priority. We've heard about shared sacrifice, union givebacks, increased healthcare costs, but very little about the importance of education,” said a PTOC email sent out to parents. “If we are to rebuild a "District in Need of Improvement," we all need to work together - City, BOE, NPS Administration, unions and the community.”

Are you going to the meeting?

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