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ty is bad,” he continued. “We want a 4.5 percent raise for teachers? Teachers have gotten a raise nearly every year for about 15 years.”
During this year’s budget process, Chappell has stated that a pay raise for school employees is crucial, as many of the teachers get paid less than their counterparts in surrounding counties.
Cordani was asked to cut his speech short after he exceeded the three-minute time slot allotted for each citizen.
“He can use my slot!” shouted a member of the audience who wanted to hear more of what Cordani had to say. Other members of the audience agreed, allowing Cordani to continue with applause from the budget critics in the audience.
“This comparing us with every other county is getting old; we’re not like any other county,” Cordani continued. “This is Rappahannock County and when you raise taxes here it goes right into my pockets and that hurts.”
Finally, Bob Anderson, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors told Cordani to step down.
“I am not going to let you monopolize this hearing,” Anderson said.
Other critics pointed out line items they believed could be eliminated from the proposed budget.
“How many years do you have a declining population and keep increasing teachers?” questioned Tom Junk from Sperryville. “The reason you don’t have money for a raise for teachers is because you have too many teachers.”
Wakefield District citizen Jean Lillard, a former teacher, criticized the athletic department, citing once again the cost of the football program to the county budget.
“We are asking for a PE aide? I find that ludicrous,” she emphasized.
Lillard also advocated giving just the teachers a raise, rather than all of the employees in the school system.
Other critics said the school should make cuts in staff.
“I think that the school should be run more efficiently as a business,” said Monira Rifaat of the Piedmont district. “If you want to give teachers a raise, cut some of your staff. We need to make the necessary hard cuts that are required for all businesses.”
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