The Finance Committee is recommending an increase of the budget of 4.6% which will actually be less than what they could legally raise it to (Proposition 2 1/2 allows taxes to be raised by 2 1/2% each year is a simplified explanation), which I suppose we should comment them for that. According to the FINCOM report (page iii) this will amount to $312,375.
Then we get to Article 4. Article 4 is a citizen petition which will level-fund the budget to the same as what this year's was. Yes, you are correct I wrote about this a couple posts back. Well in my perusal of the FINCOM report it seems that the esteemed members of this group have come up with what will have to be done if this article is passed. They use the term "Nightmare Budget". They list 14 bullet points of items which would have to dealt with. Nine of the 14 use the word "eliminate". Really?
First let me link to another blog in Sturbridge with a letter from Barbara Search posted. She points out how the Finance Committee is using scare tactics to obviously scare all of us into voting against Article 4. After all it says right there in black and white that the Council on Aging budget will have to be eliminated. Road repairs will have to be sliced by 80%. All those clerical people will have to be cut. The community healthcare budget will be eliminated.
We are all going to be sick, the elderly will have no place to go, our town business won't get done, our buildings won't be safe, and we won't be able to drive on any roads in town.(Thank the Lord for those bike trails). Honestly.
So let's see what the Town Administrator has to say, shall we? First as a tea party kind of guy I have to post this from his memorandum, he even highlighted it in a little box for us:
The petition, in my opinion, lacks any of the due diligence conducted in developing theHe makes the claim that the originators of this petition, of which I am not one, did not do their due diligence. As mentioned in Barbara's letter referenced above, and as I pointed out in my post.there are plenty of "wants, not needs" in the budget which could be eliminated. How many Police Cruisers do we really need? Does every officer have to have his own? Does the Fire Chief really need a new ride?
official budget recommendations discussed above. Instead, it seeks to tap into general
frustration over taxation, and perceived governmental largess, in hopes of gaining an
emotional vote to level fund budgets with no workable or known alternative plan.
But back to what gets my tea party juices flowing. Yes Shaun there is a general frustration over taxation and perceived government largess. Mainly because many of us in this town we like to call home can't afford to live here any more.
To be continued....
Very interesting that the town administrator says the proponents of Article 4 didn't do their due diligence but he doesn't say what it is he expected them to do. I think what the town administrator is REALLY saying is that citizens should be seen and not heard.
ReplyDeleteFaced with a petition from citizens, the FinCom came up with a doomsday "nightmare budget" that feels very much like a backhanded bitchslap and a 'now, take THAT citizen petitioners!'
My question is, what about the FinCom's due diligence? How many people are on that committee - nine of them? And every single one of them allowed that fear-laden report to be printed in an official town document.
The way I see it, citizens have an agreement with the town administrator. It's our job to pay his salary, and it's his job to respect citizens and their rights, and to administer the town. Town administration, like any other job, has good points and bad points. If you don't like administrating here, then go work elsewhere.
As citizens, we have every right to expect that our TOWN LEADERS will exercise due diligence because it's our tax dollars that are being spent. They SAY they want citizens to be involved, but they really don't. We're not smart enough and we don't do our due diligence.
If Article 4 fails, then I support the Selectmen's budget, and I credit Tom Creamer with leading from the front.
the town administrator's a joke...never prepared...always late...looking out only for his employees...time for him to go...dowling too.
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