Tiverton 1st strongly endorses Budget Option 1, the Budget Committee proposal, at the May 16 Financial Town Referendum (FTR). Every registered voter is encouraged to take ten minutes, on that day at THS or at early voting May 14 and 15 at Town Hall, to support our community and school services, and our town’s financial stability, against the destructive effects of Budget Option 2. The contrast is clear:
Budget 1 / Budget Committee proposal:
1) Created over months of public meetings by the town’s elected officials and professionals.
2) Balances the desire to limit taxes with the desire to maintain the services the people of Tiverton rely on, including funding all-day kindergarten.
3) Maintains the town’s savings at a responsible level.
4) Supported by all three elected bodies (Town Council, School Committee, Budget Committee).
5) Balances the budget without new fees or gimmicks.
Budget 2 / Petitioner proposal:
1) Created by a political group, previously operating as TCC or Clean Up Tiverton, now as Tiverton Taxpayers Association.
2) Created without input or vetting from the public or most elected and professional officials.
3) Deliberately underfunds vital town services, and jeopardizes all-day kindergarten.
4) Will require new and increased fees, like the proposed recreation fee, to fund basic services.
5) Raids the town’s savings to make its tax increase appear smaller, a practice stopped in 2010 after a nearly 10% tax increase was required just to maintain services when the state withheld promised funds and the town had inadequate savings.
Budget 2 is personal political agenda disguised as “tax relief.” For example, it proposes cuts to the town’s litigation budget, used to defend the town and its taxpayers against lawsuits. The “Petitioner” pushing Budget 2, Justin Katz, and several of his allies are currently suing the town, seeking money from all of us because they oppose voters having the final say on town finances. They’ve already cost taxpayers over $25,000, and this is an obvious and self-serving attempt to weaken the town’s ability to fight their lawsuit.
Mr. Katz’s claim that the $600,000 his budget took from Tiverton’s savings last year to fund the budget had no negative effects is false. Standard and Poor’s, the bond-rating agency, commented negatively about the town using this practice. And this year’s budget began over half a million dollars in the hole. He wants you to believe that cuts can be made without consequences, and funding shortfalls can be corrected by magical thinking.
We urge all voters to stand together against repeating past mistakes and sacrificing long-term stability for short-term political gain and phony “tax relief” that will actually cost all of us more. Vote for Budget 1, and encourage others to do the same. Ten minutes voting can spare all of us years of service cuts, new fees, and higher taxes to repair the damage of Budget 2. Budget 2 will serve the needs of a small group at the expense of everyone else; Budget 1 will serve all of Tiverton.
For more info, visit Tiverton 1st on Facebook or atTiverton1st.blogspot.com
Brian Medeiros
Co-Coordinator, Tiverton 1st
No comments:
Post a Comment