Dearest reader,
Lady B has a question. Actually, several.
And they all started with a job title she hasn't encountered in her other district investigations.
Bond Supervisor.
Yes, dear reader. A Bond Supervisor.
While examining Grand Ledge Public Schools, Lady B discovered a position with $117,304.18 in reported wages and $175,299.08 in total annual compensation, including benefits and employer costs.
Now, Lady B understands that school construction bonds are necessary. Buildings need repairs, improvements, and sometimes complete replacements.
But here's where the ledger gets interesting.
When taxpayers approve multimillion-dollar school bonds, those projects generally include professional fees for architects, engineers, construction managers, and consultants.
Those professionals are paid to help design, coordinate, manage, and oversee the projects.
Grand Ledge already has a Chief Financial Officer.
The district also works with outside construction management and architectural firms, including Clark Construction and GMB.
And yet, Grand Ledge maintains an additional position dedicated to overseeing bond and capital improvement projects.
A position that costs approximately $175,000 annually in total compensation.
So Lady B has a few questions.
What responsibilities does this position perform that aren't already covered by the construction manager, architects, consultants, and district administration?
How much overlap exists between these responsibilities?
Which district funds pay for this position?
How long has Grand Ledge maintained it, and what has the cumulative cost been?
And how many other Michigan school districts maintain a comparable, separately compensated position?
To be clear, Lady B isn't questioning the employee's work ethic or qualifications. The district's own records show that this individual provides construction updates and coordinates projects.
The question is about the position itself, its cost, and whether this additional layer of oversight is necessary.
Michigan Treasury recognizes construction management and architectural fees as legitimate bond project costs. District employee salaries, however, cannot be paid from qualified bond proceeds.
So taxpayers may be paying for outside construction management through their bonds while also funding an internal capital projects position through other district resources.
And now Grand Ledge is asking voters to consider another bond this November.
Lady B isn't suggesting that construction projects should go unsupervised.
She's asking how many layers of supervision taxpayers should be expected to fund, and what each layer is responsible for.
Because accountability isn't just about whether the work gets done.
It's also about whether the public is getting good value for every dollar spent.
With receipts and respect,
Lady B 🪶
#LadyBudgetdown #GrandLedgePublicSchools #MichiganSchools #SchoolBonds #TaxpayerTransparency #FiscalAccountability #FollowTheMoney