I read with disgust your story on the increased cost of the school construction project due to mismanagement. (“Lack of permits adds to school project costs, delay,” Nov. 3).

The $1.5 million could fund additional teachers, class materials and other things the schools are always telling us they need and are always coming back to the taxpayer for. Who is going to be held accountable for this incompetence? Does the contract include a damages clause for this sort of error? Or is someone else answerable? In any case, the cost overruns should not be borne by the taxpayers. As a long-suffering Portland taxpayer, I want and deserve answers, as do all hard-working taxpayers who expect more from their taxpayer-subsidized officials.

Susan Dench
Portland