SACO — During the end of the last budget season, there was much discussion about the desire for better communication between the Saco School Board and City Council. The new fiscal year began July 1, and the two boards began working on this goal with a joint meeting on Monday night.

School Board Chairman Michel Ohayon said he thought the budget process needed to begin in August, around the time when the new school year was beginning.
“There are a lot of moving parts,” he said.

School Board member Garrett Abrahamson said he thought budget talks shouldn’t begin with discussion of mil rates, but by looking at the priorities of the schools.

The two boards also discussed a proposed charter amendment requiring them to hold a joint meeting the second week of September and the second week of December to discuss financial matters.

Though there was consensus among the two boards around the desire to hold the two meetings, some thought the language was too specific. They were concerned that if the meetings were’t held at those specific times the city could be in violation of the charter.

Rather than changing the charter, Mayor Marston Lovell suggested the city have a policy requiring a meeting in September and one in December. Financial Director Glenys Salas said city staff would work on a policy to that effect.

The two boards also discussed a proposed charter amendment that would have the mayor preside over school board meetings. Currently, a School Board chairman is chosen by the seven-member board to preside over meetings. The chairman is also a voting member.

Previously, the mayor presided over the School Board and also  served as chairman, which was a non-voting position except in the case of a tie. This practice ended when the city joined Regional School Unit 23. When the city left the RSU and became a single municipality school unit, it continued the practice to appoint a  board member as chairman.

School Board member Lynn Leary said should the mayor preside over the School Board, they shouldn’t also be the chairman of the board. She said the School Board still needed to appoint a chairman to be “the chain of command” and communicate with school department administration.

City Councilor William Doyle said the mayor was “the visionary of the community” elected by the people, and should be the chairman of the School Board.

School Board Member Beth Johnston said she agreed with Leary and said the mayor may be the visionary for the city, but there should be someone else as the visionary for education.

There was also discussion about if the mayor presided over the School Board, would that person be allowed to vote in a tie, and who would replace the mayor if absent from a meeting.

If the mayor presided over the School Board and was allowed to break a tie, Ohayon said, it would be  too much of a “power grab.”

The proposed charter amendment about the mayor serving as chair of the School Board would first need to be approved by the City Council, then go to the polls for a city-wide vote.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.