Motion Passed: Motion to Amend Approved 2023-2024 Budget passed by our board at its May 23, 2023 meeting to reduce board members salaries back to status quo and reallocate the board member's salary increase to the In-Service/Staff Development account in the form of Resolution 2023-14 of the Arlington Community Schools Board of Education Amending the 2023-2024 Schools Budget Passed with a motion by Dr. Dale Viox and a second by Mr. Scott Benjamin
Benjamin: Yea
Conley: Yea
Dunn: Yea
Viox: Yea
Williams: Absent
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Discussion:
Dr. Viox stated the following:
ALL meetings will be recorded and videoed.
Dr. Viox stated that the urgency for this meeting is due to the fact that the Town of Arlington needs to have this for the 1st and 2nd reading of the budget.
Dr. Viox apologized to the staff who had vacations interrupted and shortened, in order to be at this meeting.
Historical Context:
May 17, 2023:
May 17, 2023, the board held a public work session regarding the board's proposed 2023-2024 budget. At that meeting Kay Williams objected to the proposal to increase the salaries of board members. For those that don't know, we don't vote on items at work sessions. This work session was set back in December, 2022, when we set our yearly calendar. The work session was always going to be optional. Dr. Viox stated that he polled the board to ask if they required a work session to discuss the budget or whether they ready to vote on the budget without a work session and Mrs. Williams said that she was not. Dr. Viox immediately scheduled a budget work session meeting on May 17th.
All board members were present and given the opportunity to weigh in on the matter and they did, in fact, weigh in with some excellent points. The only item discussed at the work session, which lasted roughly 60 minutes, was the increase in compensation for the board members. There was no other discussion other than board member compensation. The work session was very respectful, and everyone was given ample time to make their points. Dr. Viox at one point, even stated directly to Mrs. Williams that he did not disagree with anything she said, she had excellent points.
May 22, 2023:
May 22, 2023, the day prior to the scheduled board meeting, Dr. Viox read in the Daily Memphian an article initiated by board member, Kay Williams. This article alleged that board members, including and subsequently specifically Dr. Viox, had attempted to hide the proposed increases to board members' salaries. Dr. Viox found Mrs. Williams' comments in the article and at the public meeting about him to be defamatory and false and fabricated to further her personal agenda. Dr. Viox stated that Kay Williams' actions have created chaos and embarrassment for this board, this district, and the employees of this district. Dr. Viox stated that employees have reached out to him, as well as the Superintendent, to express their frustration and embarrassment brought about by Mrs. Williams' actions and comments. All of this occurred, despite having a public meeting where the only thing discussed was the board's increased compensation. To have a Special Called meeting, we notify the press and publish it locally so anyone can attend.
May 23, 2023:
Dr. Viox stated that at the board's regular business meeting on May 23, 2023, he removed the board's 2023-2024 budget proposal from the Consent Agenda and moved it to the last action item (8B) for more discussion, in the second public meeting. At the point on the agenda that the budget was considered, all board members were given the opportunity again to weigh in on the matter and they did, in fact, weigh in.
At the conclusion of the May 23, 2023 regular business meeting, all five (5) board members approved the 2023-2024 budget, which did in fact include an increase in compensation for board members. If Mrs. Williams had such a strong aversion to a compensation increase then it would have been the time to abstain or vote no.
May 25, 2023:
Dr. Viox stated that he received a copy of an opinion of the Tennessee State Comptroller's office regarding board member compensation. The opinion from the comptroller's office was requested by State Senator Paul Rose, at the request of "someone". In the comptroller's opinion, he opined, the school can increase board members' compensation, subject to budgetary approval of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, exactly as our board did 3 years ago, and exactly as our board proposed be done this time. However, the Comptroller also opined that the board can only raise its salaries up to the same amount that is received by the Board of Aldermen. The law referred to by the Comptroller references county school boards and county legislative bodies only, not municipal school districts or municipal legislative bodies at all. While the Comptroller's opinions are not legally binding, it is my understanding that because of the confusion that has been created by the Comptroller's opinion, the Board of Mayor and Alderman will not approve the ACS Budget as adopted at our May 23, 2023 meeting. Dr. Viox stated that he doesn't blame the Town for this because there has been quite a bit of chaos created by this.
So, because someone orchestrated the request for the Comptroller's opinion, confusion and chaos has been created, not just for our board, but for all municipal school districts in our state.
Our board does not need to be in the position of having the record raises and salaries of ACS employees and the ACS Budget in general be held hostage or even erased, unless whoever the someone was gets what they want. This is not at all how governing boards are supposed to behave or work. In particular, making up lies and suggesting impropriety when there was none is despicable, shamful behavior and should be, as Clay Bailey stated to me personally in the Daily Memphian, "brought into the light and exposed". Dr. Viox stated that he could not agree more in this instance.
Dr. Viox stated that despite how much it sickens him to reward this despicable behavior, he will not allow such behavior to deprive our employees of their livelihood or to potentially place in jeopardy this entire school district's existence. This is patently unacceptable. Dr. Viox stated that he simply will not allow Ms. Kay Williams to hold our employees and the district hostage for her private agenda.
Dr. Viox stated that he has to address the false accusations Mrs. Williams made both in the newspaper and at the meeting, where she specifically stated that he said "I have done my best to hide this", and "at one point I even bragged about it". So we are going to clear that up with the same group that was in the room that day, minus Mrs. Williams. Dr. Viox stated that "I am going to ask them to comment on what was said that evening":
Mr. Mayo: I don't recall that being said and I have shared that with Mrs. Williams.
Mr. Dunn: That was not said.
Dr. Viox: As I said, that was absolutely not said.
Ms. Conley: I did not hear it said that way, we talked about it being on the Consent Agenda because it wasn't anything that anyone else had to vote on except for us.
Dr. Viox: Also stated multiple times, if anybody has an issue with any item on the Consent Agenda you can immediately pull it. You don't even need a second.
Mr. Benjamin: Despite the accusation by Mrs. Williams, it was not said.
Dr. Viox: In particular, it was said that this was said 4 times and then bragged about it. As a rational human being, I would think that if it was said 4 times and bragged about it, everybody would have a clear recollection of that. I believe she said that I repeated this on four separate occasions before bragging about it. Five of the six people present at that public meeting are here now. I am going to simply state that I would be led to believe that in the span of a 55-minute meeting (work session) if I would have said this four times and subsequently bragged about it, everyone would remember.
Proposed Clarification
Dr. Viox stated that he proposed that there would be an increase under the Boards line item for professional development for board members, but not for board members' salaries.
Ms. Conley requested clarification on the In-Service/Staff Development account.
Dr. Viox: Account covers workshops (TSBA, COSSBA, etc.) that require expenses.
Superintendent Mayo provided information regarding the per diem break down for travel.
