Trustees throw wrench in the works: … couldn't vote for budget
Cornelia Naylor, The Chilliwack Times
May 14, 2010

Two Chilliwack trustees have thrown a wrench into the approval of next year's proposed $105 million school district budget.

At Tuesday's board of education meeting, trustees Heather Maahs and Martha Wiens voted down a third reading of the budget bylaw, forcing the final vote to be postponed until the next board meeting.

Maahs said she opposes the budget because it downloads costs onto parents through busing fees and the increased childcare costs that will come out of the extended spring break next year.

She also voiced concerns about the reduction and shuffling of administrators in the district, a move that has raised concerns among parents in schools that are losing both their principals and vice-principals next year.

"I hope that [the board] will consider the fact that we have stakeholders that are being asked to pay for our deficit and are also being ignored," said Maahs. "They have to pay for busing. They have to pay for the extra week of spring break, and yet when they come to a school board meeting and voice their concerns about their administrators, it falls on deaf ears."….

After the meeting, MacKay expressed frustration at the two trustees digging in their heels, saying the budget has the support of the majority of the trustees….