AUBURN – Cutting sports at Edward Little, axing assistant principals and closing the East Auburn Community School are pure scare tactics intended to draw people out who will support more school spending, City Councilor Ray Berube charged Monday.

Berube said School Committee Chairman David Das and other board members are not serious about the proposed cuts, which Das said are needed to deliver a budget that does not grow more than 3 percent, or $659,000.

Das on Monday denied Berube’s accusation, insisting there are no places to cut in the school budget. If the public wants spending to stay within a 3 percent cap, something drastic has to happen, he said.

But a budget that doesn’t close a school, cut sports and assistant principals would require a 5 percent increase, Superintendent Barbara Eretzian has said. That 5 percent increase would cost the owner of a home valued at $150,000 about $33 a year in added property taxes. It’s $22 more for the owner of a $100,000 home. Those estimates are based on existing valuations.

Berube is Mayor John Jenkins representative to the Auburn School Committee. He said he supports the mayor’s call for spending not to grow more than 3 percent. Berube complained Monday that several of the committee members “don’t want to cut anything at all.” The recent calls for closing a school or cutting sports “is intended to stir people up” to attend the April 24 public meeting and favor increasing spending, he said.

During the school board budget meetings, “Nobody ever mentioned cutting sports,” Berube said. “It’s just a tactic, just like closing the East Auburn school is, so they don’t have to cut. David Das is the star spokesman for the superintendent of schools.”

He and other members “have no plans of cutting anything whatsoever,” Berube charged.

Berube disagreed with Das, who said there’s no place to cut. Berube’s working on his own list, which he will present on April 24, he said.

“There certainly are places to cut. I’m not talking about closing any school” or eliminating sports. “I’ll have enough options in there so if they really want to cut $659,000, there’ll be ample room without hurting the kids.”

Berube said his list is not ready, but, for example, said money can be saved in health care. He complained that the 20 or so administrators don’t pay enough for their health care. “These people are paid $75,000 to $80,000 a year, and they’re only paying 10 percent.” They spend about $1,000 a year on their health coverage while taxpayers pay $11,000, Berube said. “I’d like it to be 60/40,” Berube said.

Another example of unnecessary spending, he said, is allocating $50,000 to send principals to an out-of-state conference.

Berube said he’s tried to bring up those ideas at meetings, but has been told it can’t be discussed “because it’s a negotiated item. I don’t care if it’s a negotiated item,” Berube said. Any areas of cuts should be discussed, he said.

When asked about savings in health benefits or conferences, Das said both “are part of contract’s benefits. I don’t want to get into contract negotiation in public. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Das acknowledged that not addressing contracted items during budget sessions means not touching most of the budget, since 77 percent of it goes is for salaries and benefits.

Auburn must offer competitive packages to attract and keep high-quality educators, he said.

“Lewiston teachers pay more of their health benefits than Auburn,” but Lewiston salaries are higher, Das said.

The April 24 meeting to consider the Auburn school budget begins at 6 p.m. at the Auburn Building.