68°
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. — TheDailyNorthborough.com accepts signed letters to the editor. Letters may be e-mailed to bmatthew@mainstreetconnect.us.
To the editor,
What does national and global news have to do with Northborough’s town election? Nations are broke. The European Union is broke and may dissolve. Europe purchases much of our exports and their problems affect us. This is the worst global recession in modern times. Millions of our countrymen and neighbors are out of work and those who are working are getting minimal or no annual raises. The global economy is bad, we are part of it, and it will not be better soon. It is time for austerity.
At the same time our town will be spending $1.9 million more in FY2013, or 4 percent more. New growth has increased tax revenue over the past two years by $1.8 million, and yet the administration finds a way to spend even more. School budgets, accounting for almost 60 percent of the total, increased by 4.4 percent, or $1.2 million. The Appropriations Committee unanimously approved every one of the spending articles. Nobody in the entire administration could find a budget cut! Do they think we won’t notice?
The Selectmen, the Town Administrator, the Appropriations and Finance Committees and the School Committees are using new growth revenue plus added taxes as their windfall to fund many, easy to work with, fat budgets. Taxpayers, on the other hand, have shrinking budgets while looking for relief in the form of, at least, level town spending. It is clear that the present government believes, in light of poor voter turnout, that there is no need to listen to the residents. The Selectmen and the School Committees need to get a message that budget increases on the order of 4 percent are outrageous in this economy.
At Candidates Night the School Committee candidates all said they were nice people, but none of them even mentioned the increasing budget. The only way they will get the message is to vote all incumbents out. Even unopposed incumbents should not get a vote. Send a clear message on May 14 that the residents are in charge and long-time incumbents should listen. I'm mad as h-e-double hockey sticks. If you are too, then vote them all out.
Charles Caliri, Northborough resident
Comments (1)
A DOSE of TAXING REALITY - and - NOT MYTHOLOGY for Northboro Taxpayers
The fine Article submitted by Charlie Caliri requires Voters awareness at the May 14th Election for selecting 2 members of the BOS. And the Choice is Clear and Certain throw the incumbers out for unsatisfactory fiscal control of Town govt and failures to pass-on Tax Reductions to Homeowners from all the New Growth in New Taxes. Charlie's comment is further updated with the below facts.
The Town govt has increased its Total New Additive Revenues by +$6Mil (+12% more) for FY13 over FY12 AND NOT ONE PENNY WENT TO REDUCE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES....that's the Reason to..."Throw the Incumbents Out."
Here's a heavy dose of reality, not mythology, on the unsatisfactory fiscal control of the BOS's Amberson & Pantazis over town govt spending:
For FY13 despite all the new commercial & industrial tax growth let's examine what's happened to your tax bill because of the failures of the BOS Members Amberson + Pantazis to control govt spending:
$1.8Mil new taxes from Avalon Bay + Northboro Crossing...and, no reduction to Residential Taxes. Why?
$950K increase for legally allowable rise in Prop 2.5% Max Tax Levy Limit - rather than not undertaking such an increase so as to reduce Property Taxes. Why?
$607K expected in new taxes from new growth....and, no reduction to Residential Taxes. Why?
$706K use of surplus past year taxes left over from Colburn St Contamination Cleanup project...and, not returned to taxpayers to reduce Property Taxes, instead allowed for More govt spending. Why?
$190K use of surplus past year taxes left over from the Water Tower Improvements project...and, not returned to taxpayers to reduce Property Taxes, instead allowed for More govt spending. Why?
$740K taking monies accumulated in "Free Cash" and allowing the Town to spend it all....and, no reduction to Residential Taxes. Why?
$1Mil of new additive Property Taxes for Homeowners, despite all the above new Revenues for FY13. Why?
That's +6Mil (+12%) New Revenues in FY13 over FY12 for the same level of services. And,...NO, NOT ONE PENNY OF THE +$6Mil OF NEW REVENUE WAS APPLIED TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES. WHAT INCREDIBLE FAILURE BY THE BOS APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE and FINANCE COMMITTEE.. Vote out BOS incumbents Amberson + Pantazis...that's more than clear and certain.
SUMMARY
When one analyzes these above identified FY13 New Revenues sources of +$6Mil and compares this huge increase of $6Mil in Revenues to the Total Revenues for FY12 the result is a most unjustifiable gigantic increase of +12% in new revenues. And, none of these New FY13 Revenues were applied to reduce Property Taxes. Why?
Why? Because the citizens' BOS and other governance boards/committees failed to carry out their responsibilities to fiscally control unacceptable Town govt spending, thus imposing economic hardships on Northboro families during this Great Recession, job losses, cut backs, and private sector's suppression of wages.
VOTE THE INCUMBENTS OUT
Finally, Vote on May 14, 2012: ... apply your economic common sense when voting for positive fiscal reality changes, and not fiscal mythology, in the Election for the two Board of Selectmen seats on May 14, 2013. Vote for Lisa Maselli + Howie Stone
Govt Always Works Best and is Best in a Citizen-controlled govt by Voting for New Candidates and avoid entrenchment by re-voting in the old guard (i.e., Amberson on BOS 12 years and Pantazis on BOS ~8years). Time to go.