What sort of oversight do you think bond spending should have?

O’Shea: It is my position that oversight of bond spending should be limited to scrutinizing the cost of all work and purchase orders for this bond. This will allow all of us to get the best value for our money. The bond is the product of years of work by myself, this board and the public. The bond started on the architect’s drawing table, outlining the needs and dire necessities of our buildings. It then worked its way through public committees, that gave us recommendations and additional input. After months of meetings and discussions with the public, we presented this bond for a vote. With the overwhelming passage of this bond, the public gave us a clear picture of what they expect us to accomplish. I believe that I am obligated to give the community what they voted for in this bond and that is precisely what I intend to do. Furthermore, I will strive to see that each phase of the bond is completed properly and under budget. This could result in bond savings for the tax payers. This bond will make our school buildings safer, more efficient and better prepared to educate our children well into the future.

Rubino: The residents of Rockville Centre voted “yes” for a $46 million capital improvement bond, primarily for the high school, which is in dire need of refurbishment. As this improvement program begins, it will be extremely important for the administration to keep the residents informed of the progress and provide a full accounting of the money spent.

I would call for the creation of an independent advisory board made up of Rockville Centre residents with construction and financial expertise. This board, similar to the village’s Citizen’s Budget Advisory Committee, of which I am a member, would be in place during the life of this program. The board would provide a critical eye to the progress of the work and be able to educate the board and administration on the best use of our funds.