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Post by Check-Mate on Mar 24, 2004 18:07:32 GMT -5
I know it’s not a popular subject but the infrustructure of this town is in bad shape. Why are we always doing the Band-Aid method when we should fix thing the right way. How could we let the schools have leaky roofs and say we can’t repair them because we don’t have enough money? That is BS! Let’s raise the taxes to build this town back up. Even Newington is surpassing us and that’s a shame.
We were once the envy of the state, now were classified as a 2nd tier town. We have to wake up and stop this nonsense before it’s too late. 0% tax increases sound good but they’re devastating our infrastructure
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Post by seedfarmer on Mar 25, 2004 7:39:02 GMT -5
Our infrastructure is in bad shape because we frivolously spend money in the WRONG place, like a lighted field instead of a leaky roof. My parents are senior citizens in this town and they are sick and tired of increase after increase, and so am I! What do we get for it?
Okay, I'm ready for all you fools to jump on my back now and call me names for voicing my opinion. You'll tell me to pipe down or move out of town~!
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Post by WhatNow on Mar 25, 2004 8:51:53 GMT -5
I moved here because lower taxes allowed me to purchase a larger home. It is/was also a very nice town. Our town's priorities are now focused in the wrong directions.
Football field. C'mon. It is a wetland we keep throwing our money into. This should stop now. There is no benefit to this project.
O.K., that said you may now jump me, tell me to move and call me a name!!!
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Post by Check-Mate on Mar 25, 2004 16:37:14 GMT -5
Let me answer both of you. First the infustruture of this town has been deprived of financial consideration long before the field came into play. Town priorities are processed by how much they can spend with the limited tax base they have. Well you moved to Wethersfield expecting taxes to stay status quo, your wrong, they will go up just like the value of your house.
WhatNow: Wethersfield has only had small increase in taxes because the WTPA fights the TC tooth and nail by each line item. Where has this put us? Way behind the eight ball compared to what other surrounding towns offer. Why, because we will not increase taxes based on the senior population of this town.
The TC has very good priorities, but not enough money. Well, raise taxes are they only way to increase the service we have in this town. I would recommend a city income tax of a certain percent over say $25,000; this would alleviate a tax burden on the seniors and any low income people. Of course this would be temporary!!!!!
Lastly, if you think by saying “frivolously spend money in the WRONG place” is an answer your wrong. Like I said in other posting, the field has nothing to do with trouble were in now.
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MikeC
Silver Member
I know what I know
Posts: 52
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Post by MikeC on Mar 29, 2004 10:12:56 GMT -5
Be careful what you wish for. I think I know what you’re saying; you wouldn’t mind paying higher taxes if the service increases accordingly. Guess what, it won’t happen. You’ll will see an 18-20% tax increase this coming year with no new service and that doesn’t include a new field. All I could say is OOCH!!!
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Post by oldetowne on Mar 29, 2004 11:07:17 GMT -5
This is the flip side of all of those great new sale prices so many people have been getting for their houses. That plus binding arbitration and lack of a commercial tax base in town.
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Post by LouS on Apr 7, 2004 11:38:53 GMT -5
It is not just higher taxes for services, but includes additions, enhancements and upkeep of what we currently have.
Visuals go a long way in exhibiting where the tax increases go.
Police Station Middle School Exterior (SD side)
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JoeSixpack
Silver Member
This ones for you
Posts: 35
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Post by JoeSixpack on May 5, 2004 6:01:30 GMT -5
It is one thing to have higher taxes when it goes to improving services, but the Board of Ed is out of line when most of the almost 4 million $$$$ increase in their budget is for salaries and benefits. I wonder if A-Rods agent is negotiating for the town?
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1
Silver Member
ONE - second to none
Posts: 26
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Post by 1 on May 5, 2004 7:03:01 GMT -5
I think I'll change my profession. I've taken a 17% cut in pay over the last 3 years and the teachers continue to get raises. When the economy is in the doldrums like it has been the teachers like everyone else in the private sector MUST concede some of their wages or opt for a 0% increase until the economy gets back on its feet.
I don’t always agree with Rocco but a lot he says makes sense. I think we should bring him to the negotiating table the next time so we could stop these high impact raises. $3.4 million dollars this coming year for salaries and benefits. That is outrageous.
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Post by oldetowne on May 5, 2004 7:18:03 GMT -5
Changing the rules on binding arbitration and how they calculate a town's "ability to pay" are the only ways to make any headway.
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Post by tooold on May 5, 2004 9:03:18 GMT -5
This is totally correct. Redirecting state funding would help. Commercial development.
These are the only ways other than seeing higher taxes or diminished services.
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Post by Aintnofool on May 5, 2004 22:12:18 GMT -5
We may have to look at splitting out services that are included in our taxes such as garbage & leaf pick-up, sewer service , etc. That way, we'll have lower taxes (but fees for these services via seperate bills) and if someone wants to bag their leaves or something to save money, they can do so...
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MrsB
Silver Member
Posts: 60
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Post by MrsB on May 6, 2004 18:57:52 GMT -5
I hate to keep harping on the BOE thing and teachers and what not but you are not looking at the big picture!! STOP BLAMING TEACHERS!!
Take a good look at what Dr. Proctor is saying to you with this 8.9%. He has to make up for YEARS of under funding (read that-- poorly written, poorly planned budgets) and budget cuts (read that--- everyone sniveling about any increase at all) . Just Last year people got up at the Budget meeting and repeatedly said ZERO increase, because of that our already underfunded budget was cut again, fast forward to this year and a few new special ed kids and some insurance issues. BAM budget freeze. Do you realize that since October/November there have been no extra stamps, stationary, supplies- no extra class room material. If a teacher needed plaster of paris, colored pencils, tape (!!!!) They paid for it or Parents paid for it. No Paper towels!! Why don’t you listen when Dr. P says we need $702,000 just for a corrective adjustment!! That is almost ½ of all the staff in all the schools, salary and benefits. That is how much damage has been done by not funding your system properly. If you ZERO people had done it right the first time we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
I am looking at the budget now and if you are too let me know what you think is unnecessary. If you are not looking at a copy of the budget please refrain from commenting on this topic because if you haven’t been to the workshops and parent meetings and in communication with the board during their decisions-- then too bad for you. I can say this because I have been there all along and let me tell you folks I haven’t seen too many people there until the 11th hour.
If all you can come up with is complaints about teachers, unions and wages you are not a valuable part of this conversation. Because that is not going to change for the next few years the contract has been written. (again where were you then calling the BOE with input) • Talk about strategy to get the money we need to support the state and federal mandates thrown down from on high. • WORK together to help the Town council come up with ways to cut corners. • Ask that we have a full time grant writer on staff to find us money and bring it home.
Or you can sit and chat on this forum about all the crappy teachers and unions and how they get paid too much.
Here is something for you even though there is a fiscal crisis on both the town and the board side, the council this year increased the assistant town attorney annual retainer by 80% or $16,000. This was the same assistant town attorney who for the previous two years handled no cases for the town and was paid 20,000 per year. The Assistant Town Attorney has always received a $20,000 per year retainer ( this is going back over 15 years) and this year they decide to raise it. This money would pay for weekly reader subscriptions for close to 300 students, would purchase 8 computers as well as glue, paper and paper towels.
A long time ago my mom told me that charging a sweater that's on sale may seem like a good deal, but if you don't pay your bills after a while that deal is going cost you a whole lot more than you bargained for.
I hope you saved lots of money while you have been under funding the schools and town...because your gonna need it now.
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Post by oldetowne on May 7, 2004 5:39:48 GMT -5
OK, I don't have the budget in front of me, but please allow me to raise a couple of points that I think are worth mentioning.
1. When 80+% of the budget is wages and benefits, it's very hard not to look at it as a source of savings or at least a slower increase. That is why the hard goods items are out of the budget.
2. I won't dispute that teachers have historically been underpaid, sometimes grossly so. That gap has closed over the last 10 years and the old grievances no longer carry any weight.
3. I don't blame the teachers - I think the responsibility can be placed at many peoples' feet - the board, the superintendents, the legislators who refuse to address binding arbitration and who impose mandates.
4. The board budget (and the town budget, for that matter) has NEVER been cut from one year to the next. The "cuts" that everyone cries about are merely reductions in the level of increase from those requested by the superintendent.
5. The budget process is a negotiation. Ask for exactly what you need and you will get less. Ask for more than you need so that you will end up with what you wanted in the first place. It's a high stakes game and sometimes Council calls the Board's bluff.
6. We have for years heard complaints about a lack of communication and cooperation between Council and the Board on budget items. Let's see if anything is different this time.
7. I agree 100% regarding the assistant town attorney. That position was created decades ago as a political patronage post and should have been eliminated years ago. But you can't do that to your largest campaign contributor.
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MrsB
Silver Member
Posts: 60
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Post by MrsB on May 7, 2004 7:02:31 GMT -5
oldetowne, True on many points. But if you look at any BOE budget across the state you will see that the fixed /contractual costs are always the largets part of the budget. And yes people need to compromise. Your point on the budget being cut (in reality, over asked for increases) is taken. Honestly, my personal budget requests, family wise, go up every year too. I certinatly don't live on what we made 5 years ago. Also I think we are missing the point that we are spending less (after inflation) per student than we did back when we were a nationally reconized school system. (notice that banner came down!) Also we are not in sync with our ERG group. That troubles me. For at least this year, There was no fat in that budget. I have been line by line over it, our Parent commitee has met with Dr. Proctor several times and asked for clarity on anything we were unsure of. He was very clear that this was a high increse and if he could get it through, it would be better next year for everyone. The tatic described in point 5 of your post was not used here in this 2004/2005 budget. This money doesn't float. If you ask for staff and you get the money but you don't hire them you can't just float the money over to services. Its not that easy. I think the reduction by the board was a good faith effort to find anything that could be removed. By cutting it only 1% and knowing what a huge mess we are in sends the message that this is needed. From what I see and hear I think the TC and the BoE are working together. I feel that if the TC decided to CUT more then it will be witha plan in mind and not blindly swiping off $'s for political gain as it has been done in the past. Lastly I can tell you that if we go another year ignoring what the professional educators say we need, I say we should fire the whole superintendants office and save that money. We don't listen to them, we ignor them, and no one wants to pay them. Lets let the Board of Ed and TC make all these decisions and see what they can come up with. I think realtors, lawers and buisiness men should be able to take care of all this don't you??? I am laste for an appt. forgive me for typos I don't have time to re read.
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