Mayor Signs Budget – Referendum Has Begun
Mayor Currey signed the budget last night opening the door for referendum on the out of control 6.8% tax increase. Budget petitions have already started going out.
Petitioners will be at Stop & Shop on Silver lane from 9am until 12PM tomorrow if you’d like to come by and sign a petition or pick up some petitions to assist in the process. With the voter registration surge the Obama campaign inspired the referendum effort requires a little over 4,000 signatures to get on the ballot up from the 3,700 range in the past.
If anyone would like a petition they may pick one up at the Town Clerk’s office or call me at (860) 930-4149.
Petitions must be turned in by 5:00PM March 26th.
The Citizens’ Budget Project has already halved the Mayor’s budget deficit and I am seeking volunteers for the citizens’ budget committee.
The Budget Proposal Details – Here are the Republican and Democratic Plans
Here are the specific budget plans put forth at yesterday’s budget meeting. It’s interesting to note that the Democrats’ proposed (and adopted) budget is actually less than the one put forth by the Republicans.
The Democrats’ proposed reductions totaled $2,285,916 for a proposed mill rate of 33.81824.
The Republicans’ proposed reductions totaled $2,201,518 plus a plan to increase revenue by $50,000 by auctioning surplus town equipment for a proposed mill rate of 33.84615. The Republican plan shares many of the same cuts as the Democratic proposal and as a result proposed only $799,103 in new reductions.
Had the entirety of both plans been adopted the mill rate would be 33.55 which would still represent a tax increase greater than 5.9%.
I am convinced that a referendum is necessary here, even though under current Charter rules it is toothless. Perhaps the proper followup to a referendum would be to submit our own citizens’ budget to the Council and Mayor. We don’t need to get elected. We have the political courage to do right by ourselves and our neighbors.
2010-2011 Republican Budget Report
