Fellow Tivertonians
Tiverton Citizens for Change reminds all registered Tiverton voters that the annual Financial Town Meeting will be held this Saturday at 9:00 A.M. at the Tiverton High School, and encourages all to please attend.
This year, the budget presented to voters calls for a tax increase of approximately 2% without any significant impact on town services. This would be the smallest tax increase in at least the last ten years in Tiverton, and while we all will have particular items we disagree with, TCC supports adoption of this budget.
The tax increase will be even lower and less than 1% if the taxpayer resolution calling for an offset from last year’s overtaxation is approved. A tax increase of less than 1% would be a deserved relief from years past, where through unlawful actions, scare tactics, intimidation and procedural tricks, the state cap was broken twice in the last three years while ending up with a surplus of $1.3 million last year. We also think families deserve the smallest tax increase possible with the economy still lagging, jobs scarce, and home values still in the cellar, plus the cost of Pay-As-You-Throw beginning next week.
Another important taxpayer resolution authorizes the sale of town buildings, but for not less than fair market value. When the new schools were built, many thought the old schools would be sold to help pay off the new debt. Now, some want to give away or sell the schools at less than what they are worth to a favored cause, and reauthorization of last year’s resolution is needed to avoid this.
TCC also supports the Budget Committee resolution which protects taxpayers from indemnifying shortfalls in state and federal aid to schools. As TCC accurately said last year, despite a manipulative smear campaign against us for speaking truth to power, it is now proven by the current lawsuit by the School Committee against the Town that if the state financial crisis causes the state to cut its aid budget, the School Committee will refuse to tighten its belt and will demand for the 3rd year in a row that taxpayers indemnify them dollar-for-dollar.
In summary, TCC recommends supporting all of the proposed resolutions and the recommended budget. But there is no assurance any will pass unless you vote. As always, there will be the usual cadre of vicious and vocal critics who will smear taxpayers and use misinformation to accomplish their aims, and nothing stops them from proposing a higher tax increase to break the tax cap from the floor with no advance warning. Only if you attend can this be stopped, and bear in mind that key votes at recent meetings have been won or lost by only a handful of votes. Your one vote really does make a difference.
Finally, TCC also notes with optimism that there is likely to be a referendum this fall to replace the FTM with an all-day, secret-ballot budget referendum, which TCC supports [more on this in the weeks and months to come]. So this might be the last FTM ever, and we encourage all voters to come out Saturday morning and be a part of what will hopefully be history.
Dave Nelson
President Tiverton Citizens for Change
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