Thursday, April 28, 2022

Lodi's Projected School Aid Numbers Show an Increase of More than $5M (20.6% Increase). More Money for Petty, Frohnapfel and Cardone to Pocket. Millions More for Them to Spend Without Any Oversight. Sadly, No Tax Relief for the Struggling Lodi Taxpayers.

Doug Petty and Dennis Frohnapfel continually violate the Open Public Records Act to hide what they are doing with the millions more in additional state aid that they have been receiving each year.  They have violated public trust and are unfit to manage Lodi's shockingly high $77M proposed school budget. They have disdain for the residents of Lodi. The are arrogant about their anti-taxpayer activism.

Dennis Frohnapfel has had problems in multiple districts in recent years.  He has short lived stints that end badly.  He puts districts and taxpayers in very bad situations before he is gone.  He was recently going to resign from Lodi but then decided to stay so he can increase Lodi's budget by $8M.

It is no surprise that Dennis Frohnapfel has undone all transparency measures that were put in place between 2017 and 2019.  He has emotional meltdowns when questioned about district finances (his bizarre behavior has been provided on video).  

Dennis Frohnapfel boasts that board members approve his budgets without ever reading them.  He boasts that he won't even provide board members with a "detailed budget".  If that's not a red flag, I don't know what is.

Douglas Petty is no better. A superintendent deficient in financial literacy should have hired a real business administrator instead of another overpaid interim (the other districts' reject). 

Douglas Petty inserts himself in the selection of board trustees. How inappropriate and unethical is that?  He needs members that won't question him.  He needs members that won't read budgets.  He needs members that go along with hiding public records regarding finances.  He needs members that will rubber stamp $27,000 raises for himself.

When an overtaxed town like Lodi receives millions more in additional aid, it should be used to significantly lower the school tax levy.  It should be done, could be done, and was done from 2017 to 2019.  Taxes were lowered when Lodi was receiving a fraction of state aid that it is currently receiving.  Taxes were lowered while millions more were being invested in education.

Doug Petty and the Cardone family will always tell you that their tax increases are "for the children".  Look at the raises they just got for themselves.  The tax increases are for them, not the children.  The Lodi taxpayers are working to support the Cardone Family and Doug Petty's lavish lifestyle.

Lodi taxpayers likely are unaware of the millions more in aid coming Lodi's way.  Inform your neighbors.  When you see board members, demand tax relief.  The last thing you want is Dennis Frohnapfel managing your money.  There is no oversight from most of the board.  The State provides no oversight.  Lodi taxpayers must wake up and fill the oversight void.


Post Date: March 29, 2022