Just as we expected, the town's new property tax rate will put many behind the eight ball and others out in the streets. The bills are in the mail and there's nothing left to do but read 'em and weep.
Winchester's new rate is; .. $30.03
That's right folks an increase of over $4.00 from last year !
That puts us right up there with the city of Keene $30.82
We would like to thank the Selectmen and School Board and all of you fools who voted for all of the spending warrants last March, shame on you for putting such a heavy burden on your neighbors.
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56 comments:
HOLY SH%T how do they expect us to come up with all of that extra money in a month? Are they freaking nuts or what? Maybe now the rest of you will get up of your a$$es and VOTE these damn people out.
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! How do they expect us to pay this are they crazy?
Geezus, see what happens when all of you sit home and don't vote? Maybe now you'll get a clue on why it is so important not to let things like this happen Now we all have to pay for your indifference and some of us just plain can't do it.
If your house is valued at $100,000 you will be paying $3,003.00
Last year your paid $2,596.00
You are looking at an increase of $407 more this year
Thank you folks for agreeing to all of the money warrant articles!
IT THE SCHOOL! IT THE SCHOOL1 THEY YELLED POINTING UP THE ROAD
FROM THE TOWN HALL !
No it’s the fools that would elect a guy to a 10 million dollar budget that has gone bankruptcy or elect a person who is a director of an state agency that places foster children with special needs into the Winchester School System because the person said, Winchester has the best special needs program in the area, a program this person developed and got voters to raise large amounts of money to support.
Who the fools now? There was a mess of them at the budget committee meeting Thursday supporting Margie Sharra
Better support your budget committee,this BS has to be checked.
Its amazing that with this huge increase in the tax rate that the selectmen and the dept heads continue to act like its business as usual. If there are people out there with a business background and the backbone to stand up to the employees that think they are entitled, this would be the time to run for office. There are so many ways to save money and get the work done, what we need is leadership. Its 7:00am, how many employees arn't at work yet?
Be sure to drive by Kevin's and Henry's and give them a big pat on the back for making it extra hard on everyone right at Christmas time. And don't forget to send a Thank You card to all the selectmen for going behind closed doors and handing out bonuses and colas to everyone except the hard working tax payers who just got screwed by the very people they elected to make sure things like this didn't happen.Name one other town in the state where their tax rate jumped as high as ours. Name one other town in the state that would put up with the people responsible for driving them all into the poor house. If this doesn't get people to the polls in droves to vote these scumbags out of office nothing will, it is time to clean house from top to bottom. The Budget Committee needs to revisit every dept budget and slash and cut to the bare bone just like the rest of us will have to do just to survive.
Hey hey what's that sound; everywhere you look For Sale signs going up in town! Time to get out of the asylum and find a saner place to live before they take everything I have. Sorry kids, no Christmas this year, the greedy grinches have taken it all.
Ok people stop your whining. Those of us that have participated on this blog for two years have told you that this would happen. Now, you all have two choices: I would suggest that you get your head out of dark spaces and vote for someone else and if you continue to support the powers that be shut up and pay.
Perhaps those of you that support the BOS, School and Maggie should send them all thank you cards. Especially Maggie as we have the privilege of paying for her temper tantrums. Way to go Maggie kick your feet and someone else will pick up the tab.
Budget Com. please zero all of the line items. They can add their magic 10% and the town will function just fine.
Remember this figures can lie and liars can figure. Have a nice day!
Everyone should be well informed of what your Tax Rate consists of.
Town Rate $ 6.89 to $ 7.18
Local School $14.07 to $17.50
State School $ 2.22 to $ 2.11
County Rate $ 2.75 to $ 3.24
The town portion of the tax rate increased 29 Cents. If your home is worth $200k your taxes for the town portion increase from $1378 to $1436. And increase of $58.
Now lets look at the School portion which each and everyone of us has the ability to change at School deliberative.
The School rate increased from $14.07 to $17.50. That is a $3.43 per Thousand INCREASE. Lets use the same example. A $200k home's school tax portion would go from $2814 to $3500! Thats a $686 increase.
Facts show that our tax rate does not suffer from "FAT" in our Town budget. Its the School budget.
If you ask me both budgets are FULL OF FAT ! Where's the cuts? Where is the frugal responsible leadership taking the burden off of taxpayers?
Year after year it has been the same old crap, warrant after warrant for adding to the budget and burden while wages have been frozen, home values have plummeted and people have lost jobs and their homes. It has been business as usual in this town for too damn long. I don't care if the town's portion of my tax bill only went up a dime, it's still too high and should have been cut to bare bones necessity years ago. We don't need to keep giving and giving until there is nothing left to give. As for the school budget, they have shown us exactly what they think of us by voting themselves all a substantial raise; now it is up to us to send them a message and let then know this is unacceptable and whatever it takes this will be undone.
We should send them all a message and NOT pay our taxes period, not one red cent! What would they do then? Shut down the town? Who cares, we get no service any ways. Throw our kids out of school? Now wouldn't that make the national news and leave them having to explain what has happened here. There was no need for this, just greed. While hundreds are going to suffer, others are going to be living burden free because they made sure they padded their purses while stealing from the rest of us.
The Info about the school is very true. But you people need something to whine about the town so it will never sink into your limited little brains. Why is it some people simply want to live with being unhappy and try to bring everyone else into it.
Go to the school del sessionj and make change there it where the majority of our money goes.
GREED! I show you "GREED"!Why does the conservation commission need an addition $3,819.00 from the tax payers pockets when they get all the currant use tax and timber tax with over $100,000 in their account. Now they want more....They want to take more land taken off the tax rolls
Nov30th-8:17am Its nice to see that the town hall is paying attention to the Informer, and thanks for the info.
People pay attention to your home assessments next year. This crew will have Avitar raise the value of your property and then drop the tax rate. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they want their way anyway that they can get it. So how's that Irene that there is one person in town that is thinking! Just say Good night Irene.
"Nov30th-8:17am Its nice to see that the town hall is paying attention to the Informer, and thanks for the info." - One of Five
The information given at 8:17am is from an informed tax payer. I wanted to make sure everyone had the correct information. I feel as though there is alot of mis-informed people and thought that education would be the best way for us all to solve this problem.
We have a wonderful little town that is in need of citizen support. WE all need to do what we can to make sure our neighbors know the hard facts. Not just the fact that the Taxes went up. But the areas and reasons they went up.
There are many people that dont understand the process and only complain about what they think is the reason. It doesnt solve anything. Each and everyone of us have a town that we call home. We want to see our street clean and safe and our children well educated.
This is the reason I moved to this town and have faught to stay here. I am a single parent and a tax payer. I am not happy about the increase. I am looking at about $100 per month increase in my mortgage.
I guess my question is what is your answer to fixing this problem. The town budget is a $3million dollar budget. Do you want to cut it to a million. What will we have for services? Will we have to plow our own streets and each get our own dumpster?
How about if we dont offer true services and business hours to the tax payers? Of the 700ish that vote every year(which is sad) most of them are elderly. I think most of them would be disgusted if they couldnt go to town hall to register their car but only on Monday and Wednesdays.
How about the businesses that we are trying to sell this town to? Is a business going to want to set up in a town that is understaffed and roads that havent been paved for years because someone decided to stop repairing the roads?
We all need to get involved. Its not the town budget. Its the School budget that has been plaguing us year after year. They are running about a $500,000 deficit, some is from last year and the rest from this year.
The Budget Committee proposed a cut that would have eased this issue. The proposed budget failed due to the lack of support at deliberative. It didnt even make it to the ballot. This is the most important part of the process.
When the School board proposed forming a new SAU the proposal was somewhere around $400k the real budget ended up close the $700k. Their administrator(secretary) makes more than the teachers that educate our kids do!!!!
Please get involved. There is strength in numbers. We can all learn something from each other. WE might not all agree but we can find some common ground.
Our town and our children are depending on us.
As a budget committee member I have been warning you this would happen for years. The selectmen have been draining the unreserved fund (the money that is left over from the general funds spending each year). Lowering it to dangerous lows using it low taxes gave you an artificial lower tax rate, so you will feel good about passing their bloated budgets. It can lead to a negative cash flow and dangerous possibility
in case of emergency. State recommends reserving 5-7% of of town budget.
Well it finally caught up with them the selectmen.
Come election time watch the rats jump ship. It sinking.
Another warning for next year. It will not get better the school has about $300,000.00 short fall becasue of state aid reductions. You think it bad now just wait.
Wow! Your property is worth less than it was a year ago. Not because of the market but also because of the exceptionally high taxes. People may pay a lot for a home purchase, but not for perpetual high taxes! You are paying with your check book and your property equity.
This was written in a news letter sent to every house hold in 2007 entitled, Even in Winchester, you have a RIGHT TO KNOW!
See you didn't pay attention! It looks like I wasted my money now!
"See you didn't pay attention! It looks like I wasted my money now!" -Bob Davis
Sounds like someone has a personal agenda. "I wasted my money!".
It takes alot of votes to make things happen. Not just one voice and one agenda.
We need to get on the same page and work together. When we get to the polls the majority votes for the spending. So we all have to figure out how to find some common goals.
We can go on our own crusade but if we cannot get the majority to vote in favor then it is a waste of time.
We can cause animosity over our dislike for someone or how they do their job... but that does not solve the problem. Getting a good budget to the ballot through the Deliberative process and campaigning to get the majority to vote in favor is the way to successfully lower our taxes.
Actually Bob took the initiative and spent his own money sending out a newsletter explaining the deliberative process, exposing some of the shall we say "underhandedness" going on at town hall and warning everyone about the runaway school budget; but hardly anyone listened. He implored people to go to the polls and begged the citizens of Winchester to wake up and get involved. That he feels like he wasted his money is not an agenda, it's a fact that not many in this town care about what goes on as long as it doesn't hurt them too much; maybe now they've all got the message that this is just a taste of what's to come if they don't take heed.
At least Bob Davis has been trying as has a few others, what have you done to shake the tree?
There is NO doubt that the school budget is the BIG problem, but that doesn't discount the fact that most town depts couldn't give us more bang for the buck. I am going to cut my budget by 10%, and I expect the same from my town.
More Facts:
The consumer price index rose a average of 3.5%. With the energy(fuel, heating fuel, cooking gas, etc.) averaging 14.2%.
With that in mind Cost of Doing Business has risen. This is whether we are talking about running a town or a household.
The big numbers are in the School budget! We need to get together and support the budget committee on the School budget. Attend meetingd and get informed. The School Board have spent our tax dollars with an open checkbook for years. The towns people vote for whatever they want. We need to change our focus from who broke the grader to who hired a School employee for $100,000+ per year.
We voted to form our own SAU and get out of an SAU that was not looking out for our best interest. One that was run by people that did not give us the attention and value our children deserve. Then Our School Board voted to hire everyone of those employees and give them a raise.
Was that what we voted for? Did you vote to hire people to all make over $50,000 per year without even having to interview for the job.
Our portion of the old SAU was approximately $350,000. Now we have a budget of $700,000 to run the SAU.
The change is in the school. We need new members on the board. You the people voted these members in and now we have to fix it.
Lets Focus on what can make a difference.
When a former Governor of Vermont gave his acceptance speech a few years ago, he said," The school budgets are our biggest financial burden. We have to rely on people for our information that have a vested interest and don't always tell us the truth."
I also agree the school is the big problem, but I still have issues with, who broke the grader, who doesn't get to work on time, extended lunch and breaks,and 3 and 4 day work weeks. This is all just plain poor management and is an easy fix if they were interested in fixing it. Next big money surprise, word is the chief just hired another officer that we have to send to the academy. One more full time employee at the PD and its UNION time.
I would like to know why we can't vote on the SAU budget separately anymore. It is obviously the SAU NOT the school itself!
At Thursday’s night budget meeting a surprise to some members the highway dept was revisited budget cuts come an end, highway budget revisited and pass with the full requested amount reinstalled.
With regards to the Highway budget. There was almost a $30,000 cut proposed and approved by the Budget Committee. The approved amount was a level funding which is less than it has been in several years. A responsible and agreeable cut.
Although this Blog is a very powerful communication piece. We all need to make sure the facts are presented. We all have the right to voice our opinion. But when stating facts let makes sure they are justified and consistent.
And Kathy Hebert & Roberta had the biggest smile!
Cutting "almost" $30,000 from a half million dollar budget for 6 guys who do nothing is NOT a cut, it's a joke. In a town of less than 4500 people our town budget is bloated to the point of malfeasance and people should wake up to that fact. Except for a couple of people on our budget committee attempting to make some real cuts, most members are being influenced by others to go along to get along or bear the consequences.
Attend a meeting and see and hear for yourselves what's been going on and you'll be appalled at the lack of common sense some members display in reaching their decisions. Most don't open their mouths at all and just go along to get along, not wanting to offend anyone. Well I'm offended by their lack of participation and by their unwillingness to represent us when deciding how much of our taxpayer dollars are allowed to be wasted each year and the fact that they keep doling out requested money like it was water without a care to how that will affect the citizens of Winchester in their attempts to stay on the good side of those that come before them. They continue to refuse to make substantial cuts and make these dept. heads tow the line during these tough times.
I heard that Rick Horton tried to get the other members to make him chairman last night by calling them prior to the meeting and to remove Brain Moser as chairman but his efforts failed. What the hell is going on with these people? Seems to be an effort in town to get rid of anyone who's fighting for us and not bowing down to pressure from the selectmen. This really is a town divided and the selectmen, especially Ken Gardner are to blame for this crap! Both he and this Horton should resign immediately before another lawsuit gets filed and wastes more tax dollars covering there a$$es
I'll bet Gus Ruth is behind this, he hates Bob Davis and Brian Moser and spoke out against Davis the other night. Wouldn't surprise me that he is pushing Garner's buttons and making him out to be the fall guy in all of this stuff. None of them give a rat a$$ about any of us it's all personal stuff going on at these meetings.
Goodmorning. I see my Name has finally been mentioned on this blog.
I am now in my 5th year on the Budget Committee and here by majority vote. I moved to this town and immediately got involved. If you look through the minutes I have been part of the reason our tax rate dropped in the past few years.
The last 2 years in a row I have been the biggest proponent of half million dollar cuts on the school budget. Which at Deliberative was rejected do to the lack of voter turn out. We need the people there to support the budgets that make the largest difference on our tax rate.
A cut of $289,000 effects your tax bill by $1 and keep in mind that the warrant articles can effect your tax rate much more than the increase or decrease of the budgets alone.
Please know that I am on this board for the people. It actually costs me money every week to attend the meetings. I have a young child at home that I need to provide child care for when I attend meetings. That being said I take my time very seriously.
I will not spend my time on this blog or at meetings slinging names or blaming people for our tax rate. Unfortunately our tax rate is our own fault right now. We didnt have enough support at School deliberative and lost.
Our tax rate is not about who showed up to work late. Or who drove the town vehicle on their own time. This is about voter participation. Look back over the years and see what the voters have wanted and approved.
Whether it be who they voted in or what they voted to spend our future tax dollars on its the voters fault. We did this and we have the power to change it.
Together we can. Its not an overnight fix. We have to all agree in the middle and keep moving forward year after year. The people who know me know how much I care about this town. This town is made up of alot of wonderful people.
Our school is a wonderful school. OUr teachers work hard and many times spend their own money to provide for our kids. They are not the problem. They are a value to our children and make people(like myself) want to raise their children in this town.
If you would like to say bad things about me I will accept your opinion and would still be the first person to lend you a helping hand. Which by the way last night I shook Brian Moser's hand and thanked him for running a controlled professional meeting. It was one of our most productive meetings. Not because of what budgets passed but because we had professional and intelligent conversations.
We had the true meaning of a committee last night. WE worked together and there was no yelling or personal issues. I would like to thank and commend Brian again for running a great meeting and look forward to having those same meetings moving forward as we tackle the toughest and most important budget...The School.
Continued on the next post.
Continued from above....
With all of this being said I would ask all of you to get involved. Come to the meetings. Form groups of you the get together and ask questions about the budgets.
Keep in mind that we as Budget Committee members are not able to set policy. We are not able to eliminate positions or tell anyone how to do their job. We are solely responible for recommending a budget to the people.
As I have watched this process for years I have come to realize that the missing link is information to the people. Hard facts and numbers. When the people look at the budgets they see a number... not a reason why the number is there. Lets get the information to the people and make sure if we only have 700 voters this year all of them are informed.
In closing I will let you know that I will not be spoken to in a foul manner. I request that if you would like my input you dont treat me unprofessionally. I dont have the time or energy to get involved in situations like that. Furthermore my son is involved with what I do on the Budget. I discuss it with him everynight and he reads this blog from time to time. I think you will all agree that now is when we teach our children how to communicate. We lead by example.
I am your neighbor and want to your help to make this town the great town we all believe it is.
Thank you.
Rick Horton
Wow Rick, nice positive spin on yourself, are you up for re-election this year? I see someone commented earlier about the shenanigans you pulled prior to last nights meeting, calling members outside of a meeting attempting to instigate a mutiny of sorts for lack of a better word. Not nice stuff and you claim to be everyone's friend. So why pull that crap? Don't you think attempting to submarine Brian will now divide the board or that your illicit actions will cause ill feelings towards you and anything you may attempt to do regarding the budget in the future? How does anyone trust you again? As for getting information to the people, you will find more information here on what has really been going on in town than on the town's website, listening to the familiar spin on things at town hall or by sitting in the Diner or Blue Bird ( yes I'm a regular ). At least here these people have the paperwork to back up what is said.
Well I think you missed the part that I thanked Brian for running a professional meeting last night. That is all I am looking for us to accomplish. We have an alotted 2 hours to complete our volunteer duties. Brian kept the meeting concise and too the point.
I had heard that there were others in our community upset with how our meetings were run. I was not alone in my concerns. Our job is to put forth a responsible saleable budget to the voters.
Please review the minutes of the meetings and the tapes. We have spent alot of time addressing personal and personell issues. They are not within the realm of a budget committee. Our job is the budget and the bottom line numbers.
Again if you disagree with me its ok. You have your opinion. We will never see eye to eye(I am kind of short...hahaha) But I think we both agree that we need to work on lowering our tax rate.
Geez the guy can dance can't he? Nice two step Rick; but we're looking for you to step up and answer the question put to you, why all the deception and doesn't your hand get tired patting yourself on the back? C'mon Rick, come clean, who put you up to last nights bs? You claim to be for the town and yada yada yet you keep dancing around and refusing to answer and on top of that created a very uncomfortable situation last night pitting members against members in your attempt to make yourself chair. Course you thanked Brian last night, what else could you do to attempt to save face? We all know where your loyalties lie and it sure isn't with those that need your help the most. Answer the questions Rick, the music has stopped playing.
I just want to say that it is nice to see everyone putting other names out there. Complaining about what this one or that one does. I dont see you posting your name on top. I only see 2 people on this blog that have the guts to put their name on top. Bob Davis and Rick Horton, glad you have what it takes to use your name and not hide behind the name ANONYMOUS or some other BS like that!!!
Jason, other people have also posted under their real names here, Roberta Fraser, Mike Towne, Bonnie Leveille (sp) and several others. In fact we have encouraged people to use their names to give legitimacy to their comments, but despite our efforts, most still use the anonymous option for reasons only known to them. While it can be frustrating for people wondering who said what, it is their right to use the feature and remain anonymous.
No dancing here. I made the inquiry about the chair and direction of the committee myself after having a few days to cool off from something that I felt was handled poorly. And no my hand does not get tired I actaully cant pat myself on the back. I guess I should stretch a little more because I am not as limber as I used to be!!!
We start the School budget next week. I hope to see lots of support. The last 2 years we put together a Budget for the people that would have resulted in cuts of several dollars per thousand.
Last year at School deliberative Brian made a motion to approve the reduced budget and I seconded it.
Unfortunately we had only 44 vote in favor of cutting the budget.
I dont need to defend myself I am on the committee and we are going to move forward.
Lets get focused on the next part of the budget process. The School.
Thank you.
I dont have a problem with people posting with out using their name normaly as in the first couple posts on this thread. I do think that if you are naming someone else in your post, especialy when saying somthing negative about them, that you should not hide anonymously. I am sorry that I missed Mike Towne I had seen that he posted using his name but just forgot to put it in when I was posting, I am human after all.
I do think that we have some real problems with our budget and am working on getting in a position to try to help. Until then I am reading and watching then numbers closely so when I can help I will be able to help.
For those that want names. This town is as corrupt as they get and has been this way for years. Anyone who tries to make public the corruption or digs too deep for the hall’s comfort or actually exposes it, are severely maligned by those that have something to hide and the henchmen go on the attack. Until that changes it’s likely you aren’t going to find out what your neighbor really thinks about you.
And to you Jason Cardinale. Lucky for us, it doesn’t matter whether or not you have a problem with how people post. It’s not your concern. It sounds as if given the choice you would censor the rights of others to speak out against those they disagree with or wish to expose as liars. Forcing people to post their names when they have something to say.
What useful purpose does that serve? When it comes to naming a liar a liar or a thief a thief, what matters more to you? The truth? or, Where the truth comes from? If you do your own due diligence and find out the anonymous poster that posted information contrary to what was first believed or was spun into a false truth by those that wish to malign, is in fact the truth, does it make it more valid, valuable, palatable to you if you know where it comes from first? Do you disregard information that comes from one source and embrace information that comes from another, just because of a name or position? If you do, that’s a dangerous line to walk on.
The truth is the truth regardless the source. Due diligence is a way for all of us to independently, verify information or disqualify information as we come across it. Of course, it takes a little of our own time to do so, that’s why too many people don’t.
As to those you seem concerned may have injured reputations, well….the courts are the forum to protect those that believe they have been harmed in some way when people post negatively and/or lie about them. They are free to file like anyone else.
And finally, whew…..lucky for us we have a smart blog master who knows about an old document called the U.S. Constitution. Keep the flow of information coming.
Just because you put your name on does not mean your comments are necessarily legit.
Why not rant about the big elephant in the room... the school budget. The other stuff is chicken feed in comparison. Look at the numbers of where the big increase rests. Be honest with yourself. Do you want to spend more for education or not?
The State of NH and other towns around us have figured it out and have done what's right for the greater good and cut their budgets to bare bones. They have gone so far as to lay off some employees and cut unneeded services and the same can be said for some school districts too; but not here in Winchester. Here it's a continued pattern year after year of spending on this unneeded project or service or giving out bonuses and raises to people who truly do not deserve them and caving into to every whim and whine from our department heads when they think that they just can't get by without another new something or other.
These people are obviously way over paid and not feeling the pinch like the rest of us, when they can continue year after year, to approach our select board and request more and more funds and not care how much it would hurt others in town struggling to keep up with a rising cost of living during this lasting recession the country is in. They are like little kids that have no true value of money; because they constantly get what they want no matter what as long as they whine long and loudly.
As a taxpayer and a person considered an outsider because I have not grown up here, despite calling NH my home for nearly 33 years, I have watched as spending in this town has grown so out of control that it's literally forced long time residents to leave; sell or abandon their homes or let then become so run down for lack of funds to even do the most modest of repairs.
This is unconscionable and the fault of our BOS and the members of our Budget Committees for not putting the brakes on this runaway spending.
We're a very small town and because of poor management in the past, a very poor town and yet we have a 1.3+ million dollar employee payroll, more than half a million dollars are designated for our small highway staff that has and continues to get new equipment that they mishandle and destroy every year, without consequence, and we sub out work to other towns or contractors because they don't have the expertise to do what's needed. We now have a nine man (and woman) police department with new cruisers ( and another being purchased this year )that idle all day long while doing detail work; way too many for the population here and a BOS that continues to approve increases, new hirings, over runs on projects under contract and a general disregard for the people who have put their trust in them to govern in a fair and just way for everyone.
Until the members of the Budget committee act in a professional and caring manner and put aside friendships and personal intimate relationships and start making real cuts and force these department heads to reign in their spending and to get by on a streamlined budget and force the Selectman's hand by limiting the money that they have to run the town and make them act in a frugal manner, nothing will change, our taxation will continue to rise, year after year.
Both the BOS and the Budget Committee have a fiduciary responsibility to us taxpayers and as far as I see it they have let us all down,given the opportunity they have failed us time and time again. They have abused the trust we put in them to do what's right and not place unconscionable burdens on the taxpayers of Winchester.
Speaking for all of the taxpayers of Winchester, I implore you to revisit every department budget and to make real cuts where they can be made and to put an end to this outlandish wasting of taxpayer dollars and to break this pattern of overspending the town has grown accustomed to.
Many will say that it's the school that has really put it's foot on our backs and I agree that board is way out of control; but that's a rant for another day.
rant off ..
Well said Mr. Towne very well said and I agree with you 100%. But it's too bad though that they will not even think twice and will worry more about how the dept. heads would feel if they go back and make the cuts they should have made now. What say you to Mr. Towne's statements Mr. Horton? Would you and the rest of the board go back and revisit what you have done and reconsider making a better effort and cutting out some more spending and getting these budgets in line with other towns?
When the hwy guys have time to do what they did on piney woods rd, when the police have time to run our cruiser through the mud puddles on the Pisgah access rd, when the town hall employees can jump in there cars and come and go as they please, and that just scratching the surface, there are lots of ways to save money. Doesn't look like the road agent tries to save a dime when it comes to purchases and repairs and the chief of police doesn't care what he spends, stop in and look at the new computers. There are lots of ways to save and our dept heads have no interest what so ever. So even though the school is the biggie,its not the only waste that we have in Winchester. Been hearing the explanations about the high tax bills that's coming out of the town hall-WHAT A CROCK.
It's not just the school budget it's an irresponsible town hall that spends money friviously. We need to make personnel cuts. We have too many town employees with too much free time on their hands. We pay for that free time in salary, benes and days off while the rest of us have to work our a$$es off for half the pay and no benefits.
Mr. Voice of Reason aka: Rick Horton:
When reading your blog I came to the conclusion your comments were aimed at me. I don‘t remember reading anything with quite so much compassion, as your statement "honesty for the tax payers ", but I do remember stepping in it on a farm once..
I'd like to ask where was your compassion when you started calling up budget committee members trying to get enough support to stab Chairman Brian Moser in the back and then kissing up to him after you found out there wasn’t any support. Why not bring it up at a budget meeting instead of cowardly going behind his back? Why didn’t you call me? Guess you knew what an earful you would have received. Wow! Where did you learn that tactic from Margaret Sharra? Who's pulling your puppet strings; Gardner?
Rick Horton said, “Please review the minutes of the meetings and the tapes. We have spent a lot of time addressing personal and personnel issues. They are not within the realm of a budget committee. Our job is the budget and the bottom line numbers".
When Selectmen Gardner and Selectmen Gus Ruth attacked me persoanlly at the last few budget meetings where was your so-called voice of reason? What did those mean-spirited comments have to do with the budget then? It's OK for them to act in that manner as long as they are attacking me, right!
Where was your compassion when that hypocrite Gus Ruth chastised me loudly at the budget meetings and told everyone I should recuse myself because of comments I have made on this blog? Did I deserve to be treated like that? What if anything did that have to do with our budget meeting other than his personal dislike for me. Was that crap relevant then? I have seen and read in minutes where Gus Ruth has been asked numerous times to recuse himself on planning board meetings and evidence why he should and yet he has never felt he should and yet he chastises me at a budget meeting because he feels I should. What a hypocrite he is and so are you for not speaking up then.
During one hearing when I offered to show facts that I had uncovered regarding how Selectman Gardner lied to us and how Executive Assistant Joan Moral swore to it. What was your response Rick? And again when I brought before the board facts to show proof that Margaret Sharra had used our town attorney to discuss her personal property on 71 Main St, spending tax payer dollars for her personal advice and again on her personal attack, the so-called " no confidence vote " on Kim Gordon, I discovered she was getting free legal advise on our dime. Yet you said nothing when I brought this up; instead you agree with Gardner! That's right, you said, “what does that have to do with the budget, well weren't we discussing Land Use at the time? That departments legal line is way over budget!
My response to your statement and Ken Gardner's constant interruptions “how can we get any true budget spending when the selectmen and dept heads come in here an lie to us“.
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My comment to you and Gardner was "If they cannot justify past spending, how can we justify giving them more money to waste? " Gardner's comment when he was caught in a lie was a childish, "I have been knaughty, knaughty" and slapped his hand like a three year old caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Is this the kind of conduct we deserve at budget hearings from our selectmen. This is not a laughing matter.
I have a real problem with the make up of the budget committee especially Selectman's Rep. Ken Gardner, member Rick Horton, Kevan Whippie and others who have personal and in some cases intimate relations with dedpt heads and other town officials when it comes to deciding budget matters. It puts a big ethical question mark onto what we are doing as a group and isn't right. Persoanl feelings have no right in a romm when discussing money issues or any other for that matter.
At one board meeting, both you and Ken Gardner made the comments that, " Bob Davis does not belong on the board",yet gave no reasons why other than some convuluted nonsense no one else agreed with and after that failed, both Ken Gardner and Gus Ruth continued in their efforts of provoking me in hopes to get me to quit, claiming I was driven by personal agendas. and again you sat there and did not open your mouth.What did any of that have to do with what we were discussing?
Well, I will admit to having an agenda, its to clean the corruption out of the town hall. What's your agenda Rick? Would it be letting Ken Gardner, Gus Ruth and Sherman Tedford groom you for a selectmen position and we can have another Sherm clone? You sure think like the rest of the team. You also sounded like a politian in your blog.
Your statement and I quote, “this is the reason our tax rate dropped in the past few years“. This is far from the truth as I have seen it. As an active voice for change the past 4 years, all I have witness you do was propose insignificant cuts that were meaningless and you voted against every real spending cut I purposed. Yes the school needs a closer look but it’s not just the school that is the problem!
Well explained Bob.
How crazy is that for Gus Ruth to publicly demand you recuse yourself because you speak out and post on this blog?
And Rick Horton, trying to back stab Brian Moser.
I guess Gus doesn’t get it yet that he’s not big enough or powerful enough to silence his opposition. The truth will prevail and he’s afraid of getting caught in his lies and in his shenanigans.
And really, if any these people were so concerned about their reputations they wouldn’t lie, cheat and do dirty backroom deals. This blog and the Winchester Corruption blog have both posted lots of documented and documentable information showing just how deep the backroom deals go. Even the police department covering up for town employees who steal from a crime scene and for Gus Ruth’s wife, Irene stealing a sign from Terry Qualters and then wanting Terry arrested.
Please keep posting Bob and give us the honest low down of what the minutes never do. Thank you,
What no reply from Rick Horton? I would have thought he'd come back to tell us all Bob Davis was full of schitt as he was so quick to point out how much good he has done on the committee. Guess a cat has him by the tongue or he has been censored by the town hall, either case, silence speaks volumes especially when there's a tape recording.
Guess Mr. Towne and Mr. Davis have once again struck a nerve. I was expecting replies from Mr. Horton and the other designated disruptors that frequent the blog, but not this time. A whole day without bs comments from town hall. What a refreshing relief from all the detractors. But again what can they say about the truth except to accept it and remain quiet.
The best disinfectant for dirt is sunshine.
Jason Cardinale is Rick's friend who Rick tried to get elected to the budget committee last year. A friend of Rick is a friend of Gardner.
So remeber the name when you go and vote next year.
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