At last night's Budget Committee's meeting, Bob Davis, acting on behalf of the town's taxpayers, made a motion not to approve the town's operating budget as written and to cut an additional 6% from the town budget. Bob cited "the overwhelming burden placed on the citizens of Winchester just to hold onto their homes with today's economy still in a downward turn" and the fact " that the selectmen made no serious cuts in spending" or that "the town and school made no cuts in personnel or hours as most towns across the state had ".
The motion failed, as once again our budget committee showed it has no backbone, nor any concern for the many citizens struggling to make ends meet. Bob Davis agreed the budget committee worked hard to get what cuts they had made; " but that there is enough waste in the town budget to cut even more "
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Selectman Sherman Tedford, made sure he was in attendance at the meeting and in an attempt to make sure the vote went their way, made the objection that if more cuts were made, " he wondered how they were going to run the town "? Mr. Davis responded, that the town would run just fine for another 100 years or more regardless of what the committee did; but to be fair to the townspeople they should be trimming as much waste as they could. That it was their duty to hold the Selectmen fiscally responsible despite personal feelings.
Colleen Duquette, the school board representative, also in the audience, made the statement that " cuts had already been made to the budget and now you're looking to make more ". Mr. Davis responded by saying, he had received many emails from people asking him, to please convince the board to help lower their tax bills by cutting spending and how he had gone door to door, speaking with many people in town, to get a consensus on how people felt about high taxes and runaway spending. He told the board that most people he spoke with, thought that they were not getting a good return on their tax dollars. Mr. Davis stated it was the board's moral obligation to act on the wishes of the people and to put forth their best efforts to give them some relief; but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Until we elect responsible people with an eye on curtailing unnecessary and foolish spending on big ticket items, like the warrant for $65,000.00 for a new truck, that as a town, we can get along without and are willing to tighten the belts of all of the department heads, making them accountable, we'll continue to see our tax rate jump year after year with no end in site.
The motion failed, as once again our budget committee showed it has no backbone, nor any concern for the many citizens struggling to make ends meet. Bob Davis agreed the budget committee worked hard to get what cuts they had made; " but that there is enough waste in the town budget to cut even more "
.
Selectman Sherman Tedford, made sure he was in attendance at the meeting and in an attempt to make sure the vote went their way, made the objection that if more cuts were made, " he wondered how they were going to run the town "? Mr. Davis responded, that the town would run just fine for another 100 years or more regardless of what the committee did; but to be fair to the townspeople they should be trimming as much waste as they could. That it was their duty to hold the Selectmen fiscally responsible despite personal feelings.
Colleen Duquette, the school board representative, also in the audience, made the statement that " cuts had already been made to the budget and now you're looking to make more ". Mr. Davis responded by saying, he had received many emails from people asking him, to please convince the board to help lower their tax bills by cutting spending and how he had gone door to door, speaking with many people in town, to get a consensus on how people felt about high taxes and runaway spending. He told the board that most people he spoke with, thought that they were not getting a good return on their tax dollars. Mr. Davis stated it was the board's moral obligation to act on the wishes of the people and to put forth their best efforts to give them some relief; but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Until we elect responsible people with an eye on curtailing unnecessary and foolish spending on big ticket items, like the warrant for $65,000.00 for a new truck, that as a town, we can get along without and are willing to tighten the belts of all of the department heads, making them accountable, we'll continue to see our tax rate jump year after year with no end in site.
17 comments:
Bravo to the Budget Committee for your hard work and dedication. That was a lot of nights that you sacrificed to be there. Thank you!
Now,if only we can get the rest of the town to dedicate/sacrifice their Saturday, January 30th to insure that your hard work was not in vain.
We agree with Bob, that one way to cut the budget would be to eliminate a few positions, or to cut back their hours to part time. This would not only save us salary/wages, but benefit packages that are astronomical.
Unfortunately, with the current leadership in office - the town is NOT being run like a well oiled business, but functioning as a "family".
Don't get us wrong, comradeship makes for a good working environment. Along with a positive attitude and direction. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of nepotism which plays into this "family" dynamic. Instead of looking for solutions to problems within the town/departments/committees or feeling comfortable with giving constructive criticism/instructions, faults of the members tend to be overlooked, covered up or defended.
Simply put -
Town hall has become a dysfunctional family.
Highway Superintendent Dale Gray today Wednesday Jan 20 was seen going down Main Street with the town’s 1 ton truck so overly loaded with sand it was falling off the sides. Normally this wouldn’t be a matter of concern of mine but except being a budget committee member last night at the budget committee meeting the Selectmen Sherman Tedford discussed a warrant article for a new $65,000.00 truck and how desperate Dale Gray needs this new truck because the frame is rotted out and has broken once already on the one he was seen over load with sand. This arrogant pompous ass is out to damage the truck beyond repair so the tax payers will have to insist on a new replacement truck. Instead of loading the truck lightly to get by for the winter he is set-on the destruction of our town vehicle. I will be asking the selectmen for a reprimand of Dale Gray for the miss use of town equipment.
The informer has a petition warrant article to have the highway superintendent an elected position in our attempt to have this incompetent person who is either so contemptuous toward the tax payers or just bad at doing something; or lacking the skills, qualities, or ability to do something properly. Well knowing the selectmen will not correct this man demeanor I also will be writing the Keene Sentinel Letters to the editor to let the citizens of Winchester know incompetent this person we have running our highway dept.
The only way we can curtail spending is to vote NO on any and all warrants on the ballot. The Waste Water Treatment is needed, other than that....a NO vote on ALL warrants will send our message loud and clear. Just because we have received grants does not mean we need to act on them. Many of the Warrant Articles are depending on some sort of "matching funds" from our community. People who have a vested interest in some of these grants are using us (Winchester Taxpayers) as a bank to fund their special projects.
Then we must be actively involved with the BOS and other Boards to make certain that our NO vote is honored....we don't want another new patrol car showing up overnight....
Is this the black truck that Dale used like his own personal vehicle all those years? If it is i don't wonder is worn out, all those tripe's home every day, the morning idling and this week Tue going down main st with a load so big the sand was dropping off the side. If anyone was trying to make a vehicle last that had a rotten frame i would think it wouldn't be overloaded. Its just another example of how your road agent is looking out for you.
Brattleboro VT slashes 5 jobs and cuts library hours and in Winchester our selectman on the budget com. told the group that he would see that any cuts they made would get reinstated at deliberative.
Read tonight's sentinel and you will find that the $ are going to go for even more lawsuits. We can thank the chief of police for not following the rules and the BOS for lack of backbone and not having a hearing. What is one more thing to spend our money on anyway? Oh yes, I forgot $22,000.00 per student for special ed at Keene. In my book that is 3 years at Keene State. Think about that people. Enough is enough, I can't believe that we have that many students that are coded. Or is this the only choice that parents in this town have to get help for their children at school to make certain that they get the education that they deserve.
Thanks blog! Have a great day!
Why was Sherm and Colleen allowed to comment at all? This meeting was not open to the public for discussion and yet they try and use their positions to influence and sway the vote which is illegal; yet done all the time here in Winchester. This town reeks of impropriety and favoritism and until many in town open their eyes to the problems we all face with those elected officials who work only in their own interests we'll remain a ghost town with high taxes.
What did you expect, fairness and responsibility? Not with Sherm and Gardner there, the timid are afraid to go against them.
It is evident that they are always looking out for themselves and their extended families at town hall, when are they going to start looking out for the rest of us? Or is that just too much to hope for when we elect these people into office?
I see Reppucci's lawsuit is about to go to the court, wonder what that is going to cost us. How much more can we afford with all of these lawsuits? Why is it always Winchester in the court news?
Speaking of lawsuits, i understand that Kulicks trying to keep Dunkin Donuts out of Winchester is costing us[the taxpayer] hundreds of dollars.
To the above blogger:
Is this your opinion, a rumor you have heard or do you have some facts to back up your statements that what you have said is costing town taxpayers hundreds of dollars? Statements like this can cause problems for everyone when the information is not correct or truthful.
Things are so bad here in New Hampshire and in other parts of the country that the state has to borrow money to pay unemployment benefits. People are really under the gun, hanging on by the skin on their teeth and our selectmen and budget committee, except for a couple just don't get it. All this extra spending can be put off, all these bonuses and raises are bs and need to stop and stop now. Why are they pampering to their friends and relatives at our expense. Why don't you fools who vote for these people see the light. What the hell is wrong with the people of Winchester they they continue to condone this behavior, are you all that stupid and brainwashed? Vote for people who are going to streamline our budget, stop wasting money foolishly and stop rewarding people for a terrible job and going over their budgets.
You people in Winchester really need to get your heads examined for allowing what appears to be crooks and bullies to run your town. You really have no one to blame but yourselves for your problems. You have elected people that don't care one iota about about anyone in your town except themselves, their families and their immediate friends. You all better take a good look at the people running for re-election and cast your votes for some new people that don't have ties to these others; perhaps then you'll have a town government for the people. I wish you all luck and check back after your election to see if you have smartened up.
Bill Gates was on GMA this morning, when its all over and done what he said was we have to stop spending. The state of NH has to borrow to pay unemployment for the first time. I don't know what cuts the budget committee made, but they spent a lot of time nite after nite and we need to back them at deliberative. Don't let a few people intimidate you, we need accountability in Winchester.
Its from a good source, but i have no proof. I don't understand how there problems can cost us money. Just a simple question.
Just read the news, that Obama is going to freeze portions of the federal budget. Nice going Washington. Now we'll really take it on the chin, when they start cutting back on all that fed money that props up all the bureaucrats around here. Rumor has it that the teachers union and the school board negotiated a nice new raise for next year??? I think we had better put our own budget freeze in place before these things swallow us alive as taxpayers. Vote to cut. Now!!!!!!!
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