Betsy Murphy for Dracut School Committee
Sunday Mar 13, 2016
2:00-6:00 P.M.
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Two questions to bind them all
Here is the wording of the questions as I believe they were approved at the 3/8 Board of Selectmen meeting:
Question 1:
Shall the Town of Dracut be allowed to assess an additional $560,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of supplementing the Town operating budget to hire six police officers and three fire fighters for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016.
Question 2:
Should the Town of Dracut be allowed to assess an additional $550,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding for the Dracut Public Schools for technology upgrades which include installation of a wireless network, fiber optics, voice over internet communications and hardware for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016.
Sun reports; Dracut board splits, OKs separate override
From the Lowell Sun:
Dracut board splits, OKs separate override questions
The Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 Tuesday night in favor of the split, with Selectmen Tony Archinski and Tami Dristiliaris vehemently voicing their opposition. In the end, the decision hinged on the vote of Selectman Alison Hughes, who has been at the forefront of the budget debate since she chaired the Joint Budget Task Force and was the first elected official to publicly raise the question of an override to stem Dracut’s budget woes.
“I think we were elected to put things to the voters and give power to the people,” Hughes said before the votes were cast. “I don’t think it’s splitting, I don’t think it’s dividing … I want to give them all the information and have faith in the citizens of Dracut to make the right decision.”
Hughes said she would vote for both overrides.
In subsequent votes, the board also approved the language of those ballot questions.
One will ask voters to approve a $560,000 Proposition 2 1/2 tax override for the police and fire departments. If approved, it would pay for six additional police officers and two additional firefighters.
The second question will ask for $550,000 for the School Department. The money would initially be used to upgrade the schools’ internet infrastructure. A federal rebate for around $200,000 of those expenses would then allow the district to hire several more employees.
The School Committee and others had been pushing for months for the two questions to be combined into a single $1.1 million override that would pass or fail as one, in large part out of fear that voters would be confused by the separate questions or choose to approve one and not the other.
Dristiliaris characterized the two-question option as an effort to destroy any unity that had been built up between Dracut’s various governing bodies.
“We should not confuse the voters,” she said. “I think the reason some people — this is my belief — want two questions is because they think both will fail … we’re doing a disservice to our children to separate (the schools) from the town.”
Archinski agreed, saying that he would support whatever questions came out of the night’s vote but “the fact is we need more firefighters, more police officers, more teachers, more guidance counselors, and more technology and I don’t think the people should be made to choose.”
Schools Superintendent Steven Stone declined to comment on the vote after the meeting. School Committee Member Michael McNamara, who was also in attendance, also said that two questions were likely to confuse rather than unify residents.
Throughout the nine-month period of fact finding and budget deliberations that culminated in Tuesday night’s vote, Selectman Joseph DiRocco Jr. has warned his colleagues that nothing will change unless the town’s elected officials can win voters over to their cause.
As he reiterated that point prior to the vote, it appeared that several of the selectmen will be campaigning against each other over the override questions leading up to May 2.
DiRocco has previously stated his skepticism about an override for the schools and Selectman Cathy Richardson said she would not vote in favor of either override question because she did not want the tax increases to be permanent.
“To me, the debt exclusion would have been appropriate for the technology piece,” she said.
Tax increases implemented as part of a debt exclusion go away after a set number of years, while overrides create permanent tax and revenue increases.
“Personally I won’t vote for an override because I think it’s bad municipal practice,” Richardson said, adding that she didn’t want residents to think that by passing an override they had fixed the town’s budget problems for good.
Regardless of how the selectmen advocate over the next 55 days, town and school administrators plan to stage a public-education campaign to win voters over for both overrides.
“I see my role, whether it was going to be one or two questions, as going out and educating the community,” Town Manager Jim Duggan said. “We’re going to be going to as many venues as possible.”
Follow Todd Feathers on Twitter and Tout @ToddFeathers.
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_29613175/dracut-board-splits-oks-separate-override-questions
Dracut History: Boston Post Cane found
Its a fascinating story, that I will do some more to get the complete story later.
During tonight’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Cathy Richardson was in the process of recommending that the town commission a replica of the orignal Bost Post Cane that had been given to the town long ago by the publisher of the Boston Post newspaper.
Originally, the cane was to remain in the possession of the oldest citizen of the town, and was lost many decades ago.
Chairman Tony Archinski surprised her by announcing that the original cane had been located, and that it has been in the possession of family of Housing Commissioner Russ Taylor for over 60 years, and he still has it!
I’m hoping to contact him again later this week and get the entire story, but he has sent us a photo of the cane for now.
What a great find for Dracut, that I hope we can turn back into a new tradition to honor the seniors of our town.
EPA Stormwater management regulations
In an article in the Lowell Sun this morning regarding Chelmsford’s town budget, I noticed this item near the end:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will also soon release revised stormwater management regulations that may cost the community hundreds of thousands of dollars to comply with, Cohen said. He said that cost will likely be passed on to residents through increased sewer fees.
I remember asking about this in the past regarding Dracut, and was just told that something is coming.
Did the Budget Task Force cover this issue?
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/water/wastewater/stormwater.html
Methuen Mayor Zanni vetoes Wheeler Rd Trucking ban
In the letter, attorney Richard J. Yurko, of Boston-based Yurko, Salvesen & Remz, also claimed that the council approving the ordinance would mean the city violated a 2009 agreement with Brox that helped paved the way for improvements to Wheeler Street and for the Toll Brothers construction of the Regency, thus giving Brox the right to sue.
The Mayor of Methuen has vetoed a heavy trucking ban being proposed by the city council.
It looks like years ago Brox Industries made an agreement with Methuen giving them some land along the town border in trade for the right to use the road.
Over the years, a 55+ community was put on Wheeler Rd on the Methuen side, and now those residents are complaining about trucks along the road.
The Mayor agrees that there seems to be no safety issue, so wants to avoid a legal battle with Brox.
One of the Dracut residents near Wheeler Rd had just been before the Board of Selectmen, where Town Manager Duggan said that the town was watching the situation and would get involved if necessary to protect the rights of the town.
Annual Cabaret Fundraiser
From the New Greeley Singers:
The New Greeley Singers
present their
2oth Anniversary Annual Cabaret Fundraiser
Saturday March 19, 2016, 7 PM
Sherburne Hall, 6 Village Green, Pelham, NH 03076
There will be something for everyone: many wonderful songs, old favorites and new, show tunes, lullabies to opera, will fill the air at the New Greeley Singers’ 20th Anniversary Annual Cabaret Fundraiser Saturday, March 19, 2016. The popular community chorus, based in Pelham, directed by Michael Green and accompanied by Elizabeth Tousignant, performs two traditional concerts annually but the Cabaret is not only its major fundraiser but also gives individual members a chance to show their talent. Also, it’s a lot of fun for everyone! The Cabaret is being held at Sherburne Hall, 6 Village Green, off Marsh Rd. in the center of Pelham, NH, and starts at 7 PM, but doors open at 6:15 PM. The audience will be seated at tables while being entertained, cabaret-style, by chorus members, soloists, and guest performers. For sale will be light refreshments, desserts, beverages, and tickets for a wide variety of great raffle items. Cabaret tickets are $15 for adults, and may be purchased either at the door or beforehand, but seating is limited so advance tickets are recommended. Send a check or money order to The New Greeley Singers, PO Box 99, Pelham, NH 03076. For more information call Helen at (978) 453-9982 or email [email protected]. Previous New Greeley Cabarets have been sellouts. Don’t miss this opportunity to support a talented local singing group while enjoying an evening of great musical entertainment!
Hughes segment on making her choice
This clip from 980 WCAP Saturday Morning Live is the segment where I asked Selectmen Allyson Hughes what she would support this Tuesday at the Board of Selectmen regarding whether there should be one Proposition 2-1/2 override question or two.
Sunday Column: School minutes and Richardson Votes
From the Lowell Sun Political Column this morning, we see the question “why is it taking so long to get these minutes out?” They also point out that Richardson still can get votes, as she did this week for the Republican Town Committee:
THE DRACUT School Committee raised the salaries of Superintendent Steven Stone and other top administrators in executive sessions on Nov. 9 and Oct. 26. Chairwoman Betsy Murphy later realized the votes should have been held in an open meeting and quickly rectified the matter.
As long ago as Dec. 14, committee member
Matthew Sheehan suggested members approve the minutes and release them. It hasn’t happened yet. The documents are still apparently waiting for review from the School Committee’s labor counsel, Joan Stein.
Members said last week they will raise the issue at Monday’s meeting and that there is nothing in the minutes that should not be released to the public now that the administrators’ contracts are settled.
The raises have become a political hot potato as the town’s elected officials try to convince voters that a Proposition 2 1/2 tax override is necessary for the public-safety departments and schools to function adequately.
We’ll note this: During the labor contract negotiations with the Dracut Teachers Association last year, the School Committee met 10 times in executive session and routinely approved minutes at the next regular meeting.
DRACUT SELECTMAN Cathy Richardson
can still attract votes. Sure, it was in the slightly less glamorous race for Republican Town Committee but Richardson topped the ticket with 1,885 votes.
Former School Committee member Michael Blatus was the top vote-getter for Democratic Town Committee with 2,507 circles filled in his favor. And in a victory for the entire town, after last year’s abysmal turnout for the local elections, 9,700 Dracutians did their civic duty and voted.
Hughes will support two questions
Selectman Allyson Hughes joined us this morning on 980 WCAP to discuss the options that are available for the Board of Selectmen this Tuesday evening, and how she will come down on the issues.
On the table are two different options for a tax override being proposed to support various town departments.
On one hand is a single question that would provide for a 1.1 million dollar override to support all of the departments.
On the other is proposed two separate questions, one for the school department at $550,000, the other for the town safety departments (fire and police) at about the same.
Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Tony Archinski has identified Hughes as the “swing” vote on this issue, as he and Tami D have declared they want the single question option, Joe DiRocco is definitely on the two question side, and he believed the same of Cathy Richardson.
After weeks of considering this, and reviewing it with many constituents and stakeholders, Hughes has decided that the best decision is to provide the choice of multiple questions.
Those who want to support the whole town, as Selectmen Archinski and DiRocco have said they would last week, will vote for both questions.
However, if someone only wants to support one, they have that choice.
In my opinion, although I would prefer one question I am not a Selectman who has to make the decision for everyone in town. If I were a Selectman, I think I would choose to do as she has to allow everyone to choose for themselves.
In either case, the primary last week shows there are a lot of anti-government people out there who will be hard to convince to give the town government additional taxes.
The board needs to get past this question and then let the people start to discuss the issue.