Curt Brown has blogged about the override here. He goes over what that board discussed the last couple meetings. For full details, read his account.
Here is a brief rundown of the override amounts as discussed so far. These seem to have the consensus of the Board and I expect the final result will look very close to this list with each as a separate question.
1-General Government override question $1,511,000 (see S-T article for details)but roughly $1.2 million to level fund departments and $300K for new employees.
2-Police for 7 additional officers and equipment $521, 000
3-Funds to provide sustainability for budget through FY11. $1,030,000 (These funds would be put in the Stabilization Fund and drawn down in FY10&11 to avoid shortfall in those years)
4-Library books and staff $90,000
5-Open North Dartmouth library $54,000
6-Schools $2,094,000
7-School fee elimination $325,000
Total override if all are approved $5,625,000
My feeling is that the amount being requested for the first question is about right. This will keep our town on life support for the coming year. Having said that and on hearing the discussions the past couple days, my feeling is that most of our town leaders still don't get it. They have done nothing to address the root problem and don't seem to think they can or should address it going forward. I think we need to fundamentally change the way we do business. They are talking about an override to get them through a few years and then going back to the voters for more. The funds to sustain the budget through FY11 may or may not be a separate question. The majority of the board seemed to support the idea of including it in the first question. I think that sustainability is important as well, but my point all along has been that sustainability cannot be achieved on the revenue side. Even with the inclusion of the additional $1 million, we are in the red in 3 years. The rate of growth of spending has to be cut. Unfortunately, failure to pass some override this year will cut to the bone. So I would hold my nose and vote for the General Gov't question.
Another option is to move all the override funds for the police department out of this General Government question. Without passage of the General Government question, the police department will have to cut 5 officers. Meanwhile the Police question adds 7 more. If the General Gov't question fails and the Police question passes, the approved funds would only cover 2 more cops. The board could make up the difference by cutting other departments and indicated that they would do so. I think a better solution is just put all the money the Police Chief needs in one question. Then the voters can clearly vote to keep the present force and add officers with a minimum of confusion. As I understand it, that would put the Police question at about $1 million dollars and reduce the General Gov't request to $1 million. I support an override for policing.
If the sustainability funds and a portion of the police funds are kept in the General Gov't question, I'll vote for it. Not because I think it a good idea, but it would give the town time to make changes in leadership, in the voting booth if needed. Basically, the town has done little to change so far and they don't seem to be moving to change now. The "fixed costs" that are always cited as the problem are not as fixed as some want us to believe. They are the result of the costs of direct employees. These fixed costs can be reduced by cutting the town's directly employed workforce. Contracting services shifts these fixed costs off the town onto the contractor. Since they are not bound by the same regulations about vacation, pension and health care, these contractors may be able to provide the same service at lower fixed cost and maybe at lower cost, period.
I'll have to finish my thoughts in another post. This is getting pretty long. But quickly, I don't support any of the other questions. I'll give my reasons in future posts.
UPDATE
An additional consideration is the $3,000,000 debt exclusion that will be on the ballot. This exclusion would add $300,000 to the tax increases from overrides, but would end when the debt is retired in 10 years.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Select Board considers override amounts
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Ok, for the better part of a week I have been digesting what is going on, and simultaneously asking people for their opinions on things. In general let me say that I find it refreshing that more people are aware of things, and taking an interest in our town than I found just a few short years ago. Here is a sampling of what I am currently finding.
People fall into several groups. There are the angry people who are full of mistrust, and they won't fund anything. I find these folks to be the least involved in things and their understanding. This group is much smaller than it used to be, but still exists.
There are those that are pleased that the split tax got implemented, but some feel "cheated" that they didn't get the 50%. Others are grateful and feel they would like to give some back to help the town, IF they can, based on their own personal situations balanced with what is asked of them. Even the most generous in this group have no intention of giving back all their savings because of PAYT costs.
The last group are those that would have supported any override for anything all along. I don't find this group very large. Some who were in this group last year admit that they expected more change and improvement by now, so are much more skeptical about total asking numbers.
The overall consensus I get from my "polling" about the proposed specifics of the upcoming overrides is interesting. Most people seem to be willing to support level funding to keep things from getting no worse than they are now. Most of that group will not support anything "new" except perhaps the police, which seems to be everyone's number 1 priority.
Unfortunately it looks like the $1.5M for level funding and "new" employees is in jeopardy because of the "new". There was a much higher willingness to support the $1.2M before it got combined with the other $300K. Principle is running strong in Dartmouth.
Desire to give money to the libraries seems to be almost non-existent, and the schools better have a plan B. The school question seems to be hurt by the combining of needs, and that word "new" again, with regard to employees. Many would have supported funding a Capital or Debt Exclusion for computers and textbooks, if it were small enough, but lumping everything together, and it being an override seems to not be a good choice.
People are still waiting to hear what efforts the schools have done on the efficiency axis, and they don't like the close 2 schools/open 2 schools thing. A lot mentioned that the schools will get more than a $1M increase anyway, so let them "figure out how to manage what they get better", was a common statement.
There was some interest in the Town DE for infrastructure. If the election were held tomorrow, and if I were a betting man, I would bet that the only things that would pass would be the override for the police and the DE.
For those who would like some other outcome, please don't shoot the messenger, I am only reporting what I am hearing in a variety of different circles. While I have talked to a lot of people this is clearly not scientific, but interesting anyway. Who knows what will really happen in April.
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