Ken
O’Brien
Kudos are due.
Over a year ago Councilor Albert D. Vecchia,
Jr. spearheaded a concerted effort to stem the rising tide of local tax
increases.
Monday night’s meeting of the Town Council confirmed
his success.
The tax rate was set at $20.21 per thousand dollars
of assessed valuation. This was a marginal decline from the prior rate of
$20.36.
Before proceeding I want to iterate, congratulations
Councilor Vecchia and thank you!
The question that next arises is, “What now?”
Allow me to suggest a broad outline of what is needed.
The fundamental issue is the town budget.
Right now we receive roughly $3 million per year
from the town landfill.
The overall town budget is about $49 million.
Of that, $26 million is accounted for by education
expenses.
That leaves about $23 million as the budget for the
town side.
That means that the landfill comprises about 13% of the
total town budget.
I believe that, despite current panic, the landfill
will continue to operate until at least 2020. That belief is based upon their
desire to expand into property that they already own coupled with the desire of
the state to maintain a viable facility in that location.
According to the Town Manager, we will also be receiving
about $600,000 per year from solar facilities by at least 2017.
Finally, there is an amount that will also be saved
when supervision of the landfill (which is payed for by the landfill account)
will no longer be needed and should thus be eliminated from the budget.
I propose that, beginning with the 2017 budget, the
Town Council commit itself to reducing the town side of the budget by 2% per
year, roughly $460,000. By 2021 that will have resulted in a total reduction of
10%.
At Monday’s meeting the Town Manager said that
making up the loss of the Casella money would have to be shared by cost-cutting
and tax increases.
To that I say “bullshit”.
For the last seven years the town has spent the
Casella money and increased taxes.
The town has become the fatted calf and it is time to roast that sucker.
We cannot and should not take the money from the
education budget. We are too well aware that has manifest problems with which
to deal.
It is time that the local bureaucrats who have had
it so good for so long learn the true meaning of “austerity”.
Councilor Vecchia, the ball is in your court.
Good job Apple! Good suggestions Ken.
ReplyDeleteIf Apple is to be credited for anything this year, it is for pointing out that the town borrowing $1.75 million for the airport's sewerline was dirty. THAT showed straight forwardness, but where is the follow up?
ReplyDeleteThe tax RATE is the same, but when our houses are evaluated for at least a third more than they are worth in mist cases, how is THAT keeping control of taxes?
If Apple us actually serious the Centers for Disease
Is Apple serios about veing the eirking man's friend? Prove it at Monday's meeting by reversing the vite to have a singke rate and instead establish a higher rate for Industry to give the working man a serious break for a change. On average it eould be over $100,THEN Apple deserves Kudos and maybe even the Vice Chairmanship.