#1 2014-03-28 17:07:09

If it wasn't bad enough to digest the fact this town really does need an override, it's the fact that what was presented at Thursday night's collaborative (override budget) meeting was so unbalanced. General Government goes from 11.3M in FY13 to 11.6M in FY19; Education from 26.6M in FY13 to 30.8M in FY19. General Government, as we've been told, has already been cut to the bone.  How does this override restore  essential town services which the majority of our population uses and depends upon? (This information is based on a handout labeled FY2015 Budget and Five Year projections from that meeting.) Perhaps these numbers will continue to be modified.

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#2 2014-03-29 06:28:23

Did you hear any resolve or consensus to resurrect a sustainable library budget?

The thought of watching our foster care industry bulldoze the library and 300 years of town history is physically nauseating.

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#3 2014-03-29 08:07:59

There is an unnumbered page in the document which points to "our financial stability and measures to save money in the long term". On that page it indicates an (override) FY15 budget for the library of $200K going to 217K in FY19 . Amongst some of the other items cited on this page are Town and School capital improvements of 1.2M in FY15 and 1.3M in FY16 .  COA funding corresponds to approximately 50% of the Library number . In actuality, the Library and COA numbers are the smaller ones on this document. It's very disappointing to see these as "override numbers". Elsewhere, it appears in the press that the 200K number for the Library is being presented as an increase to an initially proposed 125K budget for FY15. In actuality, the current annual spending for the Library is 290K (and does not include the contribution made by the Trustees for the operation of the Spinney branch nor for a large contribution made by them for the purchase of books). So, at best, I cannot envision the Library/Town even mounting its case to appeal decertification. As it stands, the 290K number would have been insufficient for it to reopen for five days per week. It's highly unlikely the amount of necessary hours would be met with a 200K budget or for in an appeal to indicate the town is moving in a positive direction in a future commitment to support its Library.

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#4 2014-03-29 09:25:43

wagthedog wrote:

It's highly unlikely the amount of necessary hours would be met with a 200K budget or for in an appeal to indicate the town is moving in a positive direction in a future commitment to support its Library.

Thank you. I heard essentially the same story a month ago from someone who assumed over ride supporters would cynically milk the library's doom for a token funding, not enough to matter, then divvy up the wreckage among themselves.

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#5 2014-03-29 09:36:49

In its present incarnation (IMHO) I believe override is DOA even for purposes of getting a favorable town meeting vote.

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#6 2014-04-01 06:49:11

The problem certainly is not on the Town side of this ledger. This report further indicates Town Government and Education annual expenditures as follows:

                      Town              Education

FY13             11.4M                  26.6M
FY14               9.6M                  26.9M
FY15             10.7M                  27.7M
FY16             10.8M                  28.4M
FY17             11.1M                  29.2M
FY18             11.3M                  30.0M 
FY19             11.6M                  30.8M

It appears the education component is out of control or should I say very much in control in terms of this proposed override.

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#7 2014-04-01 08:06:06

wagthedog wrote:

FY19             11.6M                  30.8M

It appears the education component is out of control or should I say very much in control in terms of this proposed override.

Our football playbook was thin as neighbor kids backyard banished until dinner, but game-over, touch becomes pig-pile tackle was always "the fence play". That was when you ran to the fence, leaned over as far as you could, and prayed.

Never ever worked and the fence usually collapsed. But at least it was fun to watch.

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#8 2014-04-27 07:05:45

http://37.media.tumblr.com/cdb03d9207c07ed8a3acc152acfa7870/tumblr_mw2x7eDM2V1s73uc3o1_500.gif

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#9 2014-04-28 22:22:28

Transfer of property development rights passed and I imagine they're popping champagne corks at T-i-own-it about now.

Auto-edited on 2020-08-11 to update URLs

Last edited by billw (2014-04-28 22:43:40)

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