Clifton council adds $25,000 to budget after public hearing on elementary school legal fees

The Clifton Town Council on Oct. 4 approved a $25,000 revision to its fiscal year 2012 budget to help cover litigation-related expenses tied to efforts to save Clifton Elementary School.

At a public hearing that opened that evening, residents and members of the Friends of Community Schools described a two-year campaign to keep the elementary school open. "We have raised $15,000 in donations thus far toward this effort," Tom Van Blaricom of the Friends of Community Schools told the council, and he said the group had raised $80,000 in three months earlier in the campaign. He summarized that two lawsuits had been filed and that judges had not reversed the decision to close the school.

Many speakers urged the Town to contribute or facilitate fundraising. "There are twenty families within the Town and 300 within the Clifton Elementary area," Judy McNamara said, urging restraint about the size of any direct Town appropriation and suggesting proceeds from the Haunted Trail could be earmarked for legal costs. Other residents, including Rick Peterson and Jeff Harper, said the school bolsters property values and the town’s character and expressed strong support for providing financial help or hosting fundraisers.

Former council member Pat Layden cautioned against using general Town funds for litigation outside the Town’s immediate responsibilities and suggested offering Town resources such as the park for fundraising events rather than a direct appropriation.

Following public comment, Councilmember John Powell moved to revise the FY2012 budget to include a $25,000 line item for Clifton Elementary litigation-related expenses; Dwayne Nitz seconded the motion. The motion passed with one abstention from Chuck Rusnak. The council also left a 10-day window for additional emailed comments, open through Oct. 14.

The vote followed repeated appeals from residents who said the school contributes to the neighborhood’s economic vitality and social cohesion. Several speakers offered concrete fundraising suggestions and said the community had already helped reduce the outstanding legal costs. The council did not specify an immediate disbursement schedule for the $25,000 line item; fundraising and further administrative steps were discussed as next steps.

The council’s formal approval of the budget change was the meeting’s primary formal action on the matter. Town officials said copies of submitted emails were available from Treasurer Marilyn Barton and that Dwayne Nitz would send an update email to the community announcing the action.