Learning Together Part 3: West Genesee Marketing Speak
Whats up people of Camillus!
Learning Together Part 3: West Genesee Marketing Speak
I really don't like posting on the same topic but this one is fairly focused on the Marketing aspect of West Genesee. I think its important.
I was using the RTN School Board Docs Dash the "WGBDD"🤣
I came across a statement from Mr. David C. Bills:
“Many people have asked what happened to the $48 million we were getting from the state for the Capital Project, and the answer is that it went away, that money was for the Capital Project and since it was voted down, we are not getting that money.”
This, like most things he says, is incomplete and a marketing approach.
Calling it “lost $48 million from the state” makes it sound like West Genesee had free money in hand. It did not.
That $48 million was projected Building Aid tied to the capital project. The district would still need to borrow for the project, pay interest on the debt, and wait for state reimbursement over many years.
Voters did not reject free money. They rejected a long-term financial package: construction costs, borrowing, interest, debt service, and whatever local tax impact remained after projected aid.
I feel this should be stated again, I mean maybe David C. Bills does not know how it works ?👈
And most importantly: State aid is projected, not guaranteed. It depends on eligible costs, state approval, aid formulas, reimbursement timing, and future state funding decisions. You cannot call it “lost money” when it was never guaranteed cash in hand.
It literally says that on the ballot.
The 2026 proposal would not only have created future debt service. It, without a doubt, would also have added ongoing operating and maintenance obligations.
State aid may help build it. Taxpayers still have to operate it.
In the end, maintenance planning prevents problems. West Genesee’s borrowing packages them into long-term taxpayer obligations.
Look, in 6 years, David C. Bills’ financial vision is 3 major capital projects, with non-guaranteed state aid, and we pay the interest.
By the way, he is probably gone in 4 years.👈
| Project / Vote Year | Proposed / Approved Project Total | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Capital Project | $40,702,000 | Approved |
| 2023 Capital Project | $43,500,000 | Approved |
| 2025/2026 Proposed Capital Project | $77,900,000 | Defeated twice |
| Total | $162,102,000 | — |
I can dislike people, and I definitely dislike David C. Bills and the West Genesee Board of Education for facilitating the misery they have put me and this neighborhood through, while thinking that all they owe us is generic letters.
But if they speak logically and the math is sound, I still won’t disagree with that person. Logic is logic.
The problem is, to me at least, they write letters and speak about things as if they are speaking to kindergartners. I suppose that makes sense when you realize where their office is.👈
They are most certainly not transparent, by any definition of the word. Everything you really want to know is a FOIL request.
They speak in broad strokes and show you only what they want you to see, what works for them. They want you to like the shiny things.
Trust me, every time I go in my backyard, there is a giant shiny thing staring at me. 🤣😢
Maybe it is because they structure themselves like a corporation over there: CEO, board, executive titles, top-down messaging, marketing, brand awareness, the whole thing.
Maybe, somewhere along the way, they actually started to believe they are a corporation.
The problem with that comparison is simple: corporate income is not guaranteed.
A corporation has to convince people to keep buying what it is selling. West Genesee does not have to compete for taxpayer revenue in the same way. For a long time, based on the YES tally, taxpayer approval seems to have been treated less like a real question and more like a formality.
And unlike a person buying from a corporation, taxpayers do not get a refund, and they cannot simply cancel the bill.
A responsible accountant would not call more debt the solution.
But I suppose, if we are going with the corporation comparison, the only thing I can say to that is:
On EVERY SINGLE THING THEY PROPOSE
Ok, unless I see any more gems from DCB, I will do another Learning Together on the recent budget proposal soon.
Peace, Love and Shiny Things,
-RTN
