Tom Notch

I know some members of our community have mixed feelings about Tom Notch. This is probably due in large part, to the considerable amount of time spent during school board meetings that are dedicated to attacking him. Why does this occur? Because those who control the school board, do not like being questioned, challenged or exposed to transparency. Watch a board meeting at http://www.lmcc-tv.org/westonka-school-board.html or watch the League of Women Voters Forum [OPEB]. They certainly feel they were elected to make decisions, and never be questioned.


Recently, [10/10/11] another school board meeting was interrupted during debate on the referendum before us. A board member screamed at Tom Notch, that he [Tom Notch] was only on the board to protect his own pocketbook and keep his property taxes low. Think about how preposterous this statement is! First, we have been told over and over how this bond referendum is only going to cost a few dollars per month. For the hours Mr. Notch invests in school board endeavors, he would be better served getting a part-time job at PDQ, if his motivation is to save a few dollars. Secondly, in an effort to save the district money, Mr. Notch does not accept his annual $3000 stipend for serving on the board. Does this sound like someone who serves on the school board merely to save a few dollars each month by derailing a referendum? To me, no, it sounds like someone who is an engineer by training and needs the numbers to make sense to himself and to all stakeholders in the Westonka community.


We never hear about the thousands and thousands of dollars Mr. Notch has saved the district over the years with his expertise. We never hear about his broad spectrum of volunteerism throughout the community. We never see Mr. Notch retaliate or respond in kind to the flagrant attacks cast upon him for simply asking questions. Why? Because he is interested in doing the job he was elected to do instead of playing politics. A large part of that job is insuring accountability. If you would like to see a more transparent, accountable and community centric school board, vote for Tom Notch, Gary Hejna & myself on November 8!