Background
on the 2015 post below:
In 2015, a former Lodi resident E.G. attended a BOE meeting. She was shocked to hear that the BOE was
quietly plotting to demolish and replace the Lincoln School administration
building. She informed me. I immediately submitted an OPRA request. Some customers from my business began
attending meetings to express opposition to this wasteful project that would
have raised taxes and drained resources from our schools. Joe Leto contributed nothing to our efforts. He never mentioned the issue until 2018, a
year after the contract was stopped. It’s
shameful that he and some others try to take credit for something they
contributed nothing to. I made the
motion to stop the contract a week after it was awarded. Members Jeff Telep, Al Mastrofilipo, and Bob
Marra voted for the motion and made it pass.
I received my OPRA response today from the following
request:
Here is a quick summary:
1) Approximate cost to remove and replace: $ 7,087,500.00
2) The structural engineer’s executive summary
reads: “The building
is generally sound and in good structural condition,…
3) Not one member of the committee is
objective or qualified to recommend spending $ 7,087,500 on a needless project.
These people look for ways to waste millions while meeting at Barcelona’s
and driving around in Capizzi’s big black Lexus. There is no educational benefit to their madness.
4) Joe Licata stated in an email that the costs will be
covered by the Capital Reserve Account and/or Operating Budget Fund without any
impact to the tax levy. Someone should explain to Joe Licata that
whether he raised taxes a few years ago or today, the project did/will affect
the tax levy. I tried to alert the
people of Lodi what going on years ago when Joe Licata raised their taxes an
excessive amount and then didn’t spend the millions on education or return it
to the taxpayers.
Link to OPRA response:
