Financial Town Meeting June 30th

Posting a letter from Town Council Vice Pres. Laura Flanagan urging Coventry residents to attend next week's FTM. I have some comments on item numbers 3, 4, 7 and 8.

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Hi All,

I need to ask for your help in spreading the word on the IMPORTANCE of every registered voter attending the

Financial Town Meeting on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 7 pm in the High School Auditorium.

Many people are under the false impression that the Council's adoption of a no tax increase budget, means that it is set in stone. This is NOT the case.

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOUR TAXES GO UP, YOU MUST ATTEND AND VOTE AT THE FINANCIAL TOWN MEETING

CAST YOUR VOTES AGAINST CHANGES TO THE BUDGET

CAST YOUR VOTES FOR PASSAGE OF A ZERO TAX INCREASE BUDGET AS PRESENTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL.

In Coventry, the PEOPLE adopt a budget at the annual financial town meeting, not the Council. This is mandated by our Town's Charter.
The Council only works to develop what is presented at this meeting. There will be a vote taken, and every registered voter has a right to weigh in.

There are many special interests groups lobbying against what the Council has adopted, and they will be at this meeting to add money, increasing taxes, with their votes.

You will hear many exaggerations of this budget's impact on Town Services - these are misleading, at best. Here are a few and the truth of these matters:

1) The summer camp program run through Parks and Recs is going up from some $80 to $175.

a. THE TRUTH IS THIS FEE REPRESENTS THE CHARGE FOR AN ENTIRE 7 WEEKS OF FULL DAY CAMP! WE HAVE BEEN CHARGING ONLY $12 per week for full day camp! We all know paying the employees and all other related expenses costs far far more than $12 - and there is no other organization around that offers this great of a deal. The fee has been increased to $25 per week in the proposed budget... Still a really discounted rate for full day camp. The program is 7 weeks long - for a total of $175.

2) Raising the rate on Day Camp will make it impossible for families to afford.

a. THE TRUTH is that if a family cannot afford $25 per week, and is in need of camp in order to work, they can apply for Assistance through the Department of Human Services Waterman Fiske Assistance Program, established earlier this year by this Council. If qualified, the program can pay for the entire fee on behalf of a family.

3) Outside Organizations losing funding.

a. THE TRUTH IS that the Town of Coventry gives away approximately $100,000 each year to help support outside organizations. When times are tough, and we are asking town employees to take salary freezes, it would seem appropriate to stop making charitable contributions. The majority of this council eliminated the entire contribution budget, and did not single out any particular organization. It is my hope that contributions can be restored when the economy improves, and as the taxpayers deem appropriate.

******** MY COMMENT - I hope some way will be found to restore funding to the all-volunteer civic groups. WA ************

4) Funding for private sports organizations that use the Parks and Recs fields has been eliminated.


a. THE TRUTH: The Parks and Recs department, through its own budget (and not the Town's "Contribution" budget noted in (3) above), has made donations in the past to support private youth leagues. The Council did not instruct that these contributions be cut. The director of this department was given a figure for his budget and he alone decided to eliminate these donations, rather than trim other expenditures, or increase fees on programs (such as the day camp, dance lessons, and other programs offered through Parks & Rec for a nominal fee). At the financial town meeting, every taxpayer has the opportunity to move funding from one line item to another by Motion, Second and a vote of all in attendance.

******** MY COMMENT - I hope some way will be found to restore funding to the all-volunteer sports organizations. WA **************

5) PAYING FOR TRASH PICKUP.

a. THE TRUTH: This budget does not include paying for trash pickup. This service will continue to be provided and supported by tax dollars.

6) CLOSURE OF OAK HAVEN SCHOOL.

a. THE TRUTH: The Town council does NOT have the authority to close schools. The Council sets the overall budget for the school department - this year, some $62,000,000. The school committee is the elected body who decides if a school will remain opened or closed.

7) SENIOR TAX FREEZE.

a. THE TRUTH: The Town council has worked diligently to cut expenses, rather than changing or eliminating the Senior Tax Freeze. If this budget fails, and the State continues to reduce its aid to cities/towns (as is likely), the Senior Tax Freeze may well be jeopardized, as there are very few places left to generate new revenue, if expenses cannot be cut. It is not the desire of this Council to change the Senior Tax Freeze, as evidenced by the budget now before the taxpayers. We prefer reducing expenditures and running more efficiently.

************ MY COMMENT - We probably all know some friends, neighbors or relatives who have benefited from the senior tax freeze. The tax freeze was implemented some years ago without having first been studied to understand what the effects would be. Some eligibility guidelines were amended a year or two ago but otherwise the freeze was not changed. Before the freeze is ever amended, I recommend that a comprehensive study of the freeze be done first to determine how it has affected all taxpayers in town. WA ************


8) ATTORNEY'S HAVE BEEN GIVEN A 159% INCREASE IN PAY

a. THE TRUTH. In prior years, the Solicitor's budget of $179,000 has been put before and approved by the taxpayers of this community. All the while, the reality of actual expenditures for these fees tells a much different story. For the past two years, we have continually run far over the solicitor budget and these expenses have been paid from a variety of other line items, outside of the solicitor account. In 2007, the town spent approximately $340,000 on legal expenses and in 2006, the number was closer to $400,000, but still the $179K figure was budgeted. The current Town Council has chosen to place all expected legal expenses in one account, as opposed to under budgeting and overspending, failing to disclose to the taxpayer the true cost. This year the council has additionally agreed to take over school legal expenses, for approximately $75,000, in an effort to help the schools achieve a level funded budget. In all reality, we are forecasting a true increase of about 7 percent over last year's expenditures, AND NOT 159% AS FALSELY STATED. The result of attempting to bring these costs into one budget has the appearance of a large increase, however, this is not reality.

************MY COMMENT - The the town has not been disclosing the actual amounts that were spent on legal at least in the previous two years in a manner that any ordinary resident would notice. Starting this year there will be some transparency with this expenditure. We finally have the specialized legal counsel that was badly needed to deal with a few lawsuits pending against the town. A judgment against the town from any of these suits could cost us millions of dollars. This is money well spent. WA **************


When I campaigned earlier this year, I heard each voice in my district. Overwhelmingly, people desired tax relief and seniors desired protection of the tax freeze. It was my desire to reduce taxes, but that was simply impossible due to the cuts Coventry sustained from the state. Holding taxes steady, with no change to the freeze is the best we are able to bring forward, without hurting essential services to our residents. Now, however, it is up to the each of you to approve or disapprove of our proposal. As your councilwoman, I have kept my commitment to you. Now, I would ask you to come out on June 30th and cast your vote. Let's join together and say enough to high taxes, enough to hurting property values, enough to business as usual, enough to the greed of the vocal minority. These are your tax dollars and this is your town. Please be present on June 30th and VOTE! Every one counts.

Warmest regards,

Laura

Laura A. Flanagan
Vice President
Coventry Town Council
District 2