I keep hearing new stories from Park City School District about a budget shortfall, why we overspend, and how we’ll correct it. I run a business today and was a tax attorney and a CPA before this. What the School District is saying didn’t add up, so I took a closer look.

Our district spent millions of dollars over revenues the past several years. The district’s financial weaknesses was hidden by the superintendent and board’s media campaign about our “rainy day fund” and, now, justifications for a tax increase. I believe no tax increase is necessary. The superintendent and board should spend more time undoing the harm created.

Let’s start with the obvious. Since the 2007-2008 school year, district expenses have risen over 30% while the headcount was flat.

Mr. Timothy told us again and again our budget was “balanced.” Why the need for more taxes now? The audited financials show the district spending in excess of revenue began years ago. Indeed, we have not seen such expenditure increases in decades.

District suggestions that this overage was covered by “rainy day funds” are false at best. We blew through the “rainy day fund” a long time ago. The district then took millions from the school building and educational resource funds to cover the shortfall. They told you these funds were “rainy day funds,” knowing this was not the case. When we’re asked tomorrow to fund a computer-science program because the funds aren’t there, keep in mind why they’re not there.

If general expenses jumped over 33%, and teacher compensation only 11%, where did it go? Certainly not to the teachers, but they are the ones being asked to shoulder the cutbacks to the extent tax increases don’t.

Should teachers be targeted in the budget cuts? No, not until the district gets its own staffing in line. This district has many individuals who make far more than anyone at the county or Park City governments.

I was at the board meeting when the teacher contract was deferred. It was back when we knew expenses were already $3 million over revenues yet the administrators still got their pay package approved and all four of the administrating spending increase measures at that particular board meeting were passed while the teachers were placed on the back burner. Go figure.

Our district is funded mostly through property taxes. Because we value education, we gave the district the ability to raise rates under a voted leeway years ago. The district raised this rate in each of the past two years and is set to do so again to make up for the declining property values. And they say they haven’t raised taxes over the past several years. They must refer to something I am not aware of, but this statement is absolutely false.

Don’t expect any clear answers from the district. I attended the recent forums, and searched for information that would explain the nature of the deficit. The number has grown from $3 million last June to $4 million in September and now over $6 million. We were referred to the information posted on the district website for answers two-year-old audited financials and a two-page budget from last June that was months out of date. Yes, there were more current budgets to post, but they weren’t. And yes, they could have posted an explanation, but they didn’t.

I urge you to support a solid education for our students. Educators I have spoken with are more than willing to bear their share of helping balance the budget. But they rightly complain that they will not shoulder district mismanagement and balance administrative gains on educational backs. Let me add that this is true of the taxpayers as well.

I suggest, instead of a tax increase, we deserve an apology, and a measure of honesty. Absent this, we have some very important choices coming up next month in the primary elections.