Understatement of the year

The Lake Country Reporter sneaks one in just under the wire for The Understatement of the Year:

Hartland - Lakeside School District - A group originally formed to study a funding referendum has changed its focus to long-range planning.

A budget discrepancy that left the district with nearly a half million dollars more than expected and the hiring of a new superintendent may be at the base of the change.

With more than $400,000 in funds that were allocated in the budget but never spent for 2004-05, "the immediacy of the referendum didn't seem to be there," said Pat Thome, acting superintendent.

Damn frustrating when you get together to form a strategy to shake down the taxpayers for more money and then discover you don't need it. But the nice part about forming a long-term planning committee, in the long-term you know they'll find a "need" to raise taxes.