Then this week, still facing a large budget deficit, the School Committee decided to recommend that voters at Town Meeting vote against the override. In a similar vein, Bill Pennington has indicated that he will request voters approve withdrawl of his private warrant article requesting an override, and in a recent letter Pennington claims that an override "... is not a viable option this year".
So if an override is really needed, then why isn't this year the right year for voters to address the issue?
Another letter in last week's Townsman states:
"How can the citizens make an intelligent decision on a tax override that is
thrown out to them 30 days prior to the Town Meeting — or is it just a political
tactic? It has been obvious for a long time that Andover needs to increase its
revenue base."
It seems to me that this statement is self-contradictory. If indeed it has been so obvious for so long, then why can't Andover voters make an intelligent decision about an override this year?
I actually believe that the Andover voters are quite competent at making decisions on complex issues that affect their town and their lives. At Town Meeting on April 30, they will be asked to vote on the specific budget amounts for each department, as well as an extensive array of financial and legal articles. In contrast, a Proposition 2 1/2 override question seems really quite simple, and well within the ability of voters to descern their best interests.
It appears to me that those who think an override shouldn't be addressed this year are concerned because they have not seen sufficient buy-in across the town to insure that the override would be passed. This is an understandable concern from that perspective, but one that flies in the face of an open decision-making process.
Several proponents of increased spending on operating budgets have agrued that the Town should use 'reserves' to meet the shortfall in this year's operating budget, and "try again" to get adequate support for an override next year. This approach seems disrespectful of the votes that might be cast on the override question this year, as if to suggest that people voting against an override are simply "not yet prepared" to make such a decision, and need more time to be convinced. Perhaps if an override concern were a sudden recent issue, then this position might be defensible. Since in fact the issue has been a topic of broad town discussion for several years, this argument sounds to me more like a short-sighted tactic to mollify the conscience of people who want more money to spend this year, but realize deep inside that the town can't afford it with passing the override.
11 comments:
Your latest post is direct and to the point, in my opinion. It defies logic (although not tactics) that the School Committee would be the only Board thus far to recommend DISAPPROVAL of an override this year. The School Committee seems to think that it is a foregone conclusion that the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee will recommend disapproval (neither board has yet to take a position on this issue). The tactic, however, is obvious, having watched most of the discussion in recent months. The School Committee feels (probably rightly) that it will be easier for them to pack town meeting (their right), and have their budget approved, using a reduction in reserves to balance the budget, rather than relying on an override. The two questions that occur immediately to me are: Does the School Committee think that relationships will magically heal right after Town Meeting so that the boards can resume civil discussions? Does the School Committee think that passing a $4 million to $6 million override next year will be easier than passing a $1 million to $2 million override this year?
The BOS should be able to make a decison as to whether or not the town needs an override. They have not stated so and have not put in the time necessary to educate the community. I disagree with the notion that the community has enough information to make an informed decision and I believe that the BOS does onot want an override to pass. They should have mada a decision by now and shown soem leadership.
All that is heard from the BOS and Finance COmmittee is that the schools are to blame for the budget problem by always asking gor me thatn is needed. Why doen't the town leadership want the schools to excell? Why must the town always paint a picture of lean town vs greedy school. It really sickens me.
The override is necessary because the costs things go up and human needs do not remain stagnant. Police, fire, elder, library , etc. all deserve adequate funding.
Come on people, taxes are how we pay for things and take care of each other in our community.
Speaking for myself (not the Finance Committee), I believe that town voters are ultimately "responsible" for the current budget problem. Selectmen (and School Committee, and Finance Committee) *recommend* budget amounts to Town Meeting, but the voters make the final decision about what amounts are appropriated each year.
There appear to be many different views within the town leadership and voter populations about whether the town should increase revenues or cut back on services. Leaders clearly have a responsibility to lay out the sensible choices, and perhaps to recommend a path, but voters make the ultimate decisions.
I agree that an override is needed at some point. Prop 2.5 is an artificial ceiling set back in a time when that type of increase seemed reasonable but today you'd be hard pressed to find any expense going up by only 2.5%.
The problem is that the BOS override article is poorly planned timewise in not allowing enough time for voters to become educated. After 3 months or more, the BOS themselves have not yet voted "for" or "against" and have provided no explaination for that vote so, how can we expect the average citizen to make an informed decision in less than 20 days?
The BOS override article is also poorly planned in the amount. You argue that if we use the reserves this year, next year the budget gap will be even larger, but the 2.5 million override proposed by the BOS does not address next year's budget either, it's not enough. So the same conversations will be needed next year regardless of the outcome of Town Meeting.
People are going to vote for what they want and what they value. If it's the schools over the bond rating so be it. We'll all have to cross the other bridge sooner or later... some prefer later.
The bond rating isn't something we should be concerned about by itself, it's just an indicator of how responsible we're being. We should be concerned about making choices that are fundamentally bad for our financial health (over and over again).
Myself - I really do care about the health of our schools, and providing a good education to our children. Beyond the schools, I am also concerned about the example that we adult residents set for our children to model. Failing, as a voter community, to face up to the clear and compelling financial choices that we need to make (increase revenues, or cut services) seems to be highly irresponsible of us, both as role models and as the stewards of our childrens future community.
How many years in a row must we throw up our hands and claim "we haven't prepared well enough for an override", and then vote to spend money as if we had passed an override?
I believe that our town (each department individually, and the town as a whole) would actually be stronger and healthier if we soberly faced the financial limitations we have each year, and only approve the spending of money after we're convinced we can sustainably collect it.
Perhaps the community as a whole would be more aligned and more willing to listen to explanations of why additional reveneues are needed, if we could all actually demonstrate fiscal responsibility when money is really scarce.
We as a society have a hard time facing up to clear and compelling financial choices. Why do you suppose the average american has no savings for retirement and carries credit card debt to equal small mortgages?
I believe people will listen when there is one clear message about Andover's financial situation. The Selectmen and Fin Comm do us a disservice when they seem to place the blame on one department and hang the responsibility for promoting an override on just the School Committee. It's really the whole towns responsibility to pay for all the town services, including the federal and state mandates on education. By making it a "school" override they start a divide. Imagine if each tax payer were allowed to individually allocate each tax dollars to their prefered town department, it would be chaos.
Every year at Town Meeting, Article 4 (Operating budgets) in fact does ask that the specific salary & expense budget for each department be individually approved by the voters. This voting has usually been very orderly; chaos hasn't broken out in recent years.
It is indeed the whole town's responsibility to pay for all the town services, and the the whole town's responsibility to decide how much they are willing to pay, and for which services.
As a voter, I would expect to have a say in any decisions about where service increases or decreases are applied across our departments, and not to have elected or appointed officials making those decisions for me.
So, it sonds like jyu want the schools to be spending less money. What do you see as the non-esentials. What is a "good education" in your mind.
Why not an "excellent education"?
I'd like to write my real estate tax check to the school department instead of the Town of Andover. I won't use the library, the senior center or DCS, I'll hire private security and trash removal, drive a 4WD vehicle and purchase replacement insurance in case of fire. Why isn't that an option?
Regarding the second-previous comment, I would like to see Andover education be the very best that is possible with the funding that the town residents are willing to provide. I'd say that the school administration has so far done a commendable job at providing a high-quality education system, and the town gets a lot of "results" for the dollars that are spent. My primary concern is that voters maintain a balance between the expenditures we approve and the taxes that we vote to pay.
I have a child attending Andover High School now, and several immediate family members employed by the school department. I have at least as much "stake" in the immediate and long-term health of the school department as anyone in town, and have no particular desire to see the school department spending "less money".
Regarding the immediately previous comment, I would note that your desires are actually an option. Assuming you are a registered voter, you are entitled to make amendment motions to the budget articles presented at Town Meeting on April 30, and attempt to convince your fellow residents of the wisdom of your vision.
I should also point out that the major financial discussion this year happens to be centered around the school department budget, but I expect next year we will be looking at even more serious and widespread budget gaps in other departments. If Andover voters wish to keep property tax revenues bound within the current Proposition 2 1/2 levy capacity, it seems likely that we will need to make a series of service reductions periodically (unless there is some significant change in state or federal aid). In my personal opinion, all of the service areas you mention are quite possibly areas that the town will need to consider reducing from current levels, to remain within current revenue constraints.
In your response to why not an override now I think that it would be fairly obvious why this is not an option. We talk about fiscal responsiblity and the bad situation Andover is in. Yet, the Board of Selectmen puts forward an override which does not address the issues long term. As was stated in our letter it is "obvious" that the town needs to increase revenue. We have heard about a structural deficit but yet planning stalled again this year about how to deal with it. Citizens can not make "an intelligent decision" at this late date because the override does not encompass services for all town departments nor do citizens really understand that there is going to be an even bigger issue next year and they might be asked to support an override again. Does anyone on the Board of Selectmen or Finance Committee really believe an override will pass two years in a row? Should the students pay for the fact that all three boards did not do all they could have to avoid this impasse now? Those are the questions that should be answered.
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