The Butler School Board is completely inept at negotiating and fiscal management. When J.M. Beatty Furniture, a successful, tax-paying, for profit business offered $530,000 for Broad Street School, the board decided that the city needs a playground more than it needs the tax revenue and rejected the offer.

Instead, they accepted the lowest offer, $400,000, from nonprofit, tax exempt ARC. Apparently the school district didn’t really need the extra $130,000 or the ongoing tax revenue, and decided that the city can also get by without the tax revenue.

Are any of the school board members aware of the city’s financial condition?

Does the city need the playground at Broad Street School at a cost of $130,000, when Rotary Park, Memorial Park, and the playground at Emily Brittain School are all within a few blocks?

Will the city be saddled with the maintenance costs for this playground in years to come? Will the city be liable for the inevitable lawsuit from an injured child?

Congratulations to the board of directors of the Butler School District. You managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Keep up the good work!

Many of you, who have read some of my previous letters, know that I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Mayor Tom Donaldson, but I will be backing him 100 percent in his efforts to block the sale of Broad Street School to ARC.

I have nothing against ARC. They are a fine organization providing valuable needed services to a special group of people. However, the sale of Broad Street School to ARC is not in the best interest of the greater community.