Tiverton Citizens for Change

At this evening’s Town Council meeting, Town Treasurer Phil DiMattia gave Council Member Ed Roderick his long sought estimate of the town’s fiscal standing as of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. The results are a bit shocking. With a plus-or-minus margin of error, Mr. DiMattia projects:

1. Revenue of $41,694,093.
2. Expenditures of $40,771,673.
3. With a surplus of $922,420.

That number includes the school system, but does not include so-called “restricted funds” that arrive as grants and the like (which, thanks to the current federal administration, amounted to quite a bit of money).

In other words, as I understand the process, having just pushed through a large tax increase in the midst of a continuing recession, the town of Tiverton is set to apply almost a million dollars into its general fund.

Also mentioned during the course of the night’s meeting was that the fire department has found a supplier for a new $600,000 fire truck, and the DPW has just received a new pickup. Me, I can’t afford Christmas presents for my children.

I’m at the Town Hall as the newly elected town council members — many of them also members of Tiverton Citizens for Change — take the seats at the front of the room.

So far, Rep. Jay Edwards has presented State House certificate to each of the departing members; the departing council members have given short speeches of thanks; and Town Clerk Nancy Mello has offered some parting gifts for them.

7:16 p.m.

All new town officials have been sworn in, and the new town council has taken seats and, with David Nelson’s nomnation and no alternate nominations,Jay Lambert has become the president of the council.

Ed Roderick nominated Cecil Leonard for vice president, and with no alternate nominations, the leadership of the council have been set.

7:19 p.m.

President Lambert asked if anybody had any of the new members have opening remarks. Ed Roderick is leading off, and he’s thanking the outgoing council members for making him “a better person.”

Cecil Leonard followed with similar remarks.

David Nelson thanked the voters and the outgoing members.

Rob Coulter announced that he’s resigned from the Budget Committee. He echoed the repeated need that all citizens be represented and promised to give a voice to those most in need.

Joan Chabot offered thanks and looks forward to working with everybody. She highlighted the mix of skills and demographics on the council.

Lambert almost missed Brett Pelletier, who is sitting at the far left of the table. He expressed the need to look toward the future of the town rather than the past or the immediate future.

Thank you to everyone who supported TCC candidates in Tuesday’s election . I owe a special thank you to my wife, Mary, the TCC campaign staff and to all of our volunteers and supporters. Without your help this result would never have been possible.
This election was exciting and exhausting. I have made many new friendships and experienced life in Tiverton in a whole new and exciting way. I value these new friendships a great deal and hope to build on these in the future.

Congratulations to all Tuesday’s winners. I want to sincerely thank ALL the candidates. Tiverton needs our citizens who step forward to volunteer and make our community stronger. Tiverton faces some difficult issues ahead, and l am confident we will be up to the task. It is my most sincere hope that we put the past behind us and work together to shape Tiverton’s future.

Selected Articles describing the Outcome

http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/139190.html

http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x4798203/Voter-backlash-costs-Tiverton-council-incumbents-re-election

http://www.heraldnews.com/archive/x742791685/Tiverton-Concerned-Citizens-gets-council-majority

Dave Nelson
President TCC

This morning, Justice Stephen P. Nugent of the Newport County Superior Court denied the Tiverton Town Council’s effort to throw out my taxpayer appeal relating to the abuses of process at the 2008 financial town meetings.

The central issue involves whether the Town Council is required to take supermajority vote in order to break the tax cap. The state Department of Revenue told the Town Council they had to take such a vote, but they intentionally ignored it. Though the Town Council tried to throw the case out, Justice Nugent held that a genuine dispute remains as to the intent behind the law, and the case may now proceed to trial.

This is all despite efforts by some, most recently Brian Medeiros, who is trying to cover up his own misdeeds when he was on the Town Council, to attack me and others who thought that the 2008 financial town meetings were inconsistent at best. Anyone else remember Louise Durfee saying it will take weeks to come up with a new budget? And then the next week, many of us stayed home because we were told the previous week that the second meeting was simply a formality? Brian likes to say this case is against the “people of Tiverton,” but the simple fact remains that the state told Brian Medeiros and the rest of the Town Council to follow the law, which they disregarded. Now to cover his tracks he has taken to lies and personal attacks. My case would cost the town $182, which I have already said I would donate to the Tiverton Land Trust, even though Brian keeps lying to everyone saying it will cost the town “millions.”

$182, not millions. Actually, it would cost the town zero because I have repeatedly offered to drop the case if the Town Council would just agree to follow the law in the future. While they agreed to do so in January, they reversed course and attempted to have the case thrown out instead. Maybe we should be asking why the Town Council is paying the Town Solicitor thousands in legal fees over a $182 tax appeal going to charity?

Brian Medeiros seems to think citizens don’t have the right to a tax appeal, or to hold the government accountable through the judicial system. This is about principle, not money, he owes me an apology, and he owes all of us an apology for his lies.

If anyone else is tired of the hearsay and rumors, and has questions or would like to see the back up documentation to this complaint please contact me at 525-0469. I’d also like to thank in particular my attorney, Stephen Muschiano, who has taken this case pro bono because he believes, like I do, that our town government should follow the law.

Danielle R. Coulter

Letter to the Editor

Tiverton’s skyrocketing property taxes have the triple-whammy effect of hurting residents who struggle financially in this economy, driving down property values, and scaring away businesses. Even though our taxes have gone through the roof, the town still mismanaged all this money so we somehow still have millions of dollars of debt, unfunded liabilities, and major capital needs for our roads, town buildings, and landfill cap.

I believe this has occurred because Tiverton lacks a well-defined long-term strategic financial plan. We need one, and it would allow for a more structured and rational conversation to prioritize goals and fund those priorities in a way which controls taxes and shows stability, so we don’t scare away the kind of businesses we want to attract but preserve our town’s special character.

But even this solution will not make things better until we change our budget process. Everyone is aware of the broken rules, procedural tricks, and voter intimidation that special interests and their embedded government friends have used to turn the financial town meeting into a circus. The result has been that the town gave away the store to the favored few without looking out for struggling families and long-term planning. This must stop, and only then will we have a rational process that leads to affordable town budgets which also make long-term sense.

My goal is to keep using my financial, management, and legal experience to support a town government which controls taxes, plans smartly for the long-term, shows stability, and most importantly – actually treats its citizens with respect. Thank you for your support, and please stay involved to help make progress toward a better and affordable Tiverton.

Rob Coulter
Rob Coulter is the current vice chair of the Tiverton Budget Committee, and a candidate for Tiverton Town Council.

Elections have a way of crystallizing our vague feelings into action and they present an opportunity to elect candidates who can bring about a change in the status quo, pointing the way forward for communities and defining who we are, what we want and how we should do it.  This year’s elections will do that for Tiverton in a unique way.

            The 2008 election cycle witnessed the birth of Tiverton Citizens for Change, important to many as the first time an organized opposition to the Town Democratic Party stood its ground and had an impact in the results. We encourage voters to broaden that balance this year.

            We think most folks want to see an open, honest debate about pertinent issues which enlighten, sometimes persuade and other times promote debate. It is no secret that TCC was born from the acrimony stemming from the 2008 FTM, and that the issues at the core of that concern persist today. While TCC seeks to participate in a wide range of issues, taxes and out of control government spending certainly top our list and have since our beginning.

           Witnessing the negative feedback from residents who’ve watched taxes rise over 24% in the last three years, some local politicians are jumping onto the tax-hawk bandwagon.  Their talk is just a mask for their agenda, not a statement of goals that they’ll work to achieve. Using phrases like save our town, preserve our services, and improve our quality of life invoke a sense of well being, while failing to state the core issue- they will repeatedly raise your taxes to do it.

Tiverton is more than the local government that serves us. Tiverton is rich in cultural history, and unique in its scenic beauty. As a community, we need to balance the needs of government with the needs of our households, while we deal with the economic and social conditions around us. TCC has stated numerous times, and do so again now, that we support flat spending and expanding the tax base to relieve the burden on residential property owners.

I’ve heard from many of our neighbors who feel that the Town Council has become deaf to the people it serves. We want to change that. TCC endorses those candidates who are committed to holding down spending and taxes. We also want to change the openly hostile attitude toward economic development in town by welcoming community minded business men and women to join us in the effort.  

TCC’s endorsements for Town Council are Joan Chabot, Jay Lambert, Cecil Leonard, Rob Coulter, Dave Nelson, Jeffrey Belli and Ed Roderick.

Dave Nelson

President of Tiverton Citizens for Change

Tiverton, Rhode Island

In Response to Candidate Pelletier…
To the Editor,
I write this in response to the letter submitted by Mr. Pelletier in support of Mr. Horwitz, both candidates for Tiverton Town Council.
Mr. Pelletier, in your letter you infer that “intimidation” and “fear mongering” are inappropriately being used in the Tiverton Town
Council race. Mr. Pelletier, many townspeople are fearful of losing their homes or of having to leave Tiverton. Call that intimidation
or fear mongering if you like – but that just shows your disregard for this personal, sacred issue regarding ones home.
I am very concerned that the “progress” you reference means continued annual 7.5% tax increases. I pressed you on this issue
(generally) the night we met at Buddy’s and in my opinion you waffled. In addition your answers to endorsement questions lacked
conviction. I hope I am wrong.
Regarding your endorsee Mr. Horwitz, it is a fact he supported the 8% increase at the FTM. Then on Channel 18 during the Newport
Daily News debate he offered strong support to government functions that are obviously broken and over funded. Observers would
likely conclude, as I have, that Mr. Horwitz supports the historical 7.5% tax levy increase trend. I am unaware of any evidence to the
contrary.
I assume the “one-issue crusade” as you term it is the plea for lower taxes. Behind the 7.5% tax levy trend is a decade’s worth of
overfunded government functions, costly decisions, etc. While many meaningful government services may result from the annual
7.5% increase, in many respects the 7.5% is a symptom of these services which in itself becomes a valid, singular concern that calls
into question every budgetary line item. After all, if the government actions in the last nine years had resulted in an annual
compounded 2% – 3% tax levy increase, then there would be very little taxpayer angst now and Tiverton would be a model
community.
Please look at the chart below that shows 1% future tax levy growth. While
concerned townspeople are alarmed by the unsustainable trend, you seek ‘collective’ solutions that “benefit the entire population”.
Even the casual observer of Tiverton happenings knows that these are the code words for continued 7.5% increases.
The “change” that many advocate for is not simply replacing elected officials with new ones, but rather with those that acknowledge
the alarm. To not address the tax levy trend is to not admit that Tiverton has a tax problem. Regretfully, everything I have seen
from you, Mr. Horwitz, and your supporters indicates an unwillingness to ruffle the feathers of the status quo to change the 7.5% tax
levy trend.
Year after year the groups that have endorsed you and Mr. Horwitz (namely the Democratic Town Committee and The Alliance) push
for the excessive tax levy increase – usually wrapped in the flag of the ‘community’. Changing the tax levy trend will be a complex,
difficult, and unpleasant task. Past history has repeatedly shown that the Democratic Town Committee and The Alliance (the
endorsers of you and Mr. Horwitz) would rather support an annual 7.5% tax increase than take on fiscal reform.
By accepting their endorsement one can only assume that you will be accountable to them as your constituent, which is in direct
conflict to the goal of limited taxation and reform. As a leader of the reform movement I urge concerned taxpayers to NOT support
Mr. Pelletier or Mr. Horwitz. While they may be our well intentioned neighbors, to date they have presented themselves as
obstacles to fiscal reform.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Caron
Tiverton

 October 8, 2010
Citizens United for Responsible Budgeting
Mr. Brian Medeiros, Administrator

http://curbtiverton.blogspot.com/

curbtiverton@cox.net
The Alliance to Preserve Tiverton’s Quality
aka “The Alliance P.A.C.”
John S. Foley, Chairperson
Patricia Sullivan, Treasurer
P.O. Box 367
Tiverton, Rhode Island 02878
Dear Brian and John:
This is a courtesy letter to share with you some confirmatory information I have received regarding the applicability of state campaign finance laws to financial town meetings. I have a genuine interest in moving forward in a professional and cooperative manner and welcome you to do the same.
Mr. Michael Burk recently filed a formal complaint against Tiverton Citizens for Change with the Rhode Island Board of Elections, and this complaint was referred to me by BOE. Furthermore, Mr. Charles Moran did the same thing back in 2009, but as his complaint was not acted on by BOE, I did not become aware of it until recently. Both of them accused TCC of violating campaign finance laws by not reporting contributions and expenditures relating to FTMs.
Neither Mr. Burk or Mr. Moran extended the courtesy of checking with TCC first. Had they done so, I would have shared with him that we have already specifically asked the Director of Campaign Finance at the Board of Elections back in 2008 whether FTMs are covered, who responded in writing that they are not. BOE confirmed that once again with me this morning.
I believe that if Mr. Burk or Mr. Moran had their way, then not only TCC but also your organizations and others such as parent-teacher organizations would also be implicated because of their political activities relating to FTMs.
Quite frankly, these complaints appear to the politically motivated actions which cause concern on both sides of debate in Tiverton, as some seek to tear down others rather than work together. I am determined that these partisan efforts do not serve as undue distractions from our continuing efforts to work together reasonably to find common ground. So, I extend this information to you as a courtesy in case your organizations are likewise concerned, and welcome you to contact me if you would like any further information regarding this topic.
Sincerely yours,
David Nelson
President
Tiverton Citizens for Change
66 Peaceful Way
Tiverton, Rhode Island 02878
401-288-0998