HAVERHILL — School Committee President Kerry Fitzgerald accused the mayor of trying to take over schools with his proposal to merge the School Department's Finance and Human Resources departments with city government.
"There would be no more need of the School Committee if we let you take over our budget, which may be your motive," Fitzgerald told the mayor at last night's School Committee meeting.
Mayor James Fiorentini responded by saying he could just as easily question Fitzgerald's motives.
"I could say your goal is to protect your turf," Fiorentini told her. "That you are more worried about that than taking care of the schools and doing what's best for students."
Fitzgerald said she put the issue on the meeting's agenda at the last minute when she found out the mayor intended to pitch the plan to the City Council tonight.
"I'd expect you'd have given us the details before going forward," Fitzgerald said. "It's a lack of respect and I'm ticked off you were going to go to the City Council before us."
Tonight's City Council meeting begins at 7 in City Hall.
Fiorentini said Fitzgerald's opposition to his consolidation plan surprised him because, during a recent visit to his office, the committee president told him she was upset the mayor did not give her credit for coming up with the idea.
Fitzgerald then called the mayor a liar at least five times in less than a minute.
Fiorentini asked the committee to put aside "personalities and turf protecting," and consider whether the proposal might have some merit and could help the city and school district save money by eliminating duplication.
He asked the committee to appoint two members to a group that would include two city councilors to study the proposal and make a recommendation. The School Committee voted 5-1 to table, or put off, the proposal to form the joint committee until the next School Committee meeting on May 22.
The consolidation would require the approval of both the committee and the council.
"If I could do it on my own, I would have by now, but I can't," the mayor said. "I need your vote."
Several committee members said they are willing to consider merging some school and city departments, such as those in charge of benefits, workers' compensation and possibly personnel. Those who spoke last night were firmly against turning school finances over to the mayor.
The reorganization is designed to shrink city government and the education establishment, which taxpayers are having trouble affording in the current weak economy, Fiorentini has said.
The shake-up, part of the mayor's fiscal 2009 budget that takes effect in July, does not include any immediate layoffs, but several positions in finance and personnel offices would be eliminated when the employees in those jobs resign or retire, the mayor said, resulting in savings on salaries and benefits.
The plan would save $15,000 next year by merging the city and school benefits operation, the mayor said.
"Isn't this a lot of angst for $15,000?" Fitzgerald asked him.
Fiorentini said he believes the reorganization would save a lot of money in the future as employees in the consolidated departments retire or resign and are not replaced. The mayor, however, was not able to provide an estimate of those future savings.
The merging of school and city functions and jobs is based on recommendations by the state Department of Revenue to several financially troubled communities it audited recently, the mayor said. Those communities include Salem, Reading, Barnstable and Danvers.
Mayor's proposed school shake-up
r Hires chief financial officer to oversee city and school finances*
r Seeks to avoid work duplication
r Saves money by eliminating positions as employees retire or resign
r Starts by merging city and school insurance benefits operations
r Establishes a single city department in charge of city and school personnel, human resources
r Needs approval by School Committee and the City Council
*City Finance Director Charles Benevento is to be recommended for job
