The Taxpayers Association Petitions For A Budget Referendum

Published May 11, 2010 at 12:47 p.m.

Sure they know a referendum will cost the town roughly $40k (which is less than $1 per resident), sure they know it's only a 2.74% tax increase, but the fact of the matter is the Board of Education once again is out of control...As a result, taxes are going up...again.

For what it's worth, here is the WFSB video and the article in the Courant.

They will pooh pooh it as a minimal increase - but to them it's ALWAYS a minimal increase.
When does it stop?
People are already struggling to pay their bills in this economy.
There's 8% unemployment in town.
Homes are being foreclosed upon.
Do we simply ignore that?

While the town side of the budget has been streamlined and the Town Manager has worked hard to keep expenses in check, the Board of Education continues to ask for more and more money. While everyone around them is struggling (the Town side of the budget included) have they on the Education side really given up anything?

What sacrifice have they made, save for a few teachers (who were not going to be hired or replaced anyway) and very minimal reductions? NONE.

Why?
Because they don't have to.
They pick a popular program, threaten to cut it and people act like it's Armageddon.
They are like spoiled children whining and throwing a temper tantrum at the grocery store until mom gives them the junk food they scream for in order to shut them up.

The Town Budget voted and passed the West Hartford Board of Education an increase of 4.3%. The Mayor claims that the BOE cut $500K. Funny how the Mayor equates a decrease in the amount of their budget request with a reduction in spending! Can someone please tell the Mayor that a 4.3% budget increase equates with increased spending! And as usual, it's the same old story, the Mayor claims that opponents, like the Taxpayers Association and others, are just uninformed (the hit piece mailers are already being designed, no doubt).

Mayor Slifka neglected to mention the additional $825K the Council gave the BOE above the 4.3% increase; money that came from the Blue Back Square/Taubman/West Farms lawsuit settlement that was SUPPOSED to go to paying down town debt! So in the end the BOE netted out $300K ahead of their request! And that's supposed to be a budget spending decrease?

Apparently the BOE doesn't understand the term decrease.
It is a very simple concept: Spend less money.
Heaven forbid they try to streamline their practices.
Instead they continue business as usual.
Program review? Nah...
Administrative salary decreases? Nah...
They continue to pour money into programs that are supposed to be self-sustaining (and obviously aren't really). They continue to hide behind costs that they say they can't control, or costs that they claim are embedded systemically, but they won't address their problem of lack of real fiscal control. The result: continual increases.

This referendum is not about this budget specifically. It is about the constant year after year increase in spending, an issue of sustainability, and an obvious disregard for the taxpayer. Heck, they will even soak their own students to "pay for play".

You may wish to read this editorial from one businessman in town.

The budget fails to address the certain loss of $3.4 million in ARRA funding and probable loss of some state funding in the coming year. Rather than adjusting expenditures in anticipation of these future losses of revenue, this budget cavalierly assumes the money will be found somewhere, or will default to the West Hartford taxpayers, the lifeboats on board, who are unfortunately insufficient to handle the crisis.

When the Stimulus money (aka ARRA) disappears, then what?
How much of a tax increase will we experience next year because of it?
Why isn't the BOE making preparations for next year's budget within this year by slowing down their spending and starting to really economize now?
It's because they don't have to as long as the Town Council is willing to supply them with their budget "fix".

The Town Council seems very satisfied with a small tax increase.
The taxpayers know that while this increase may be relatively smaller than other increases, that there is still much work that the BOE is unwilling to do. That is pretty much the issue here.

While everyone else is living on bread and water, the BOE is still enjoying steak on the grill and dessert.

If you are interested in gathering signatures, here is the Referendum petition.


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