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In this series, we follow Government Spending, and related fiscal issues.
2024 Oct 17
New
5 days agoVoter Authorization of New Hires
Select Board and Town Manager discuss hiring a new position.
Town Manager asserts that voters rejection of a new position at the ballot still authorizes him to hire that position. SB chair states the new position will be brought before Town Meeting.
Town Manager Tangeman: "Town Meeting approved the position but the ballot didn’t approve the funding. These are distinctly different issues. Because this has been a confusion in the community -- that approval at Town Meeting is only for the position approval; the ballot is about the funding mechanism above and beyond the existing operational budget. They don’t negate each other. They’re two distinct different approval processes.
It’s been a conversation in the public -- 'it was denied at the ballot which means it negates the Town Meeting vote.' That’s not the way it works. So I just want to be clear about that."
It’s been a conversation in the public -- 'it was denied at the ballot which means it negates the Town Meeting vote.' That’s not the way it works. So I just want to be clear about that."
The 2024 Town Meeting vote was contingent upon the passage of an override ballot question.
That override ballot question did NOT pass: 224 Yes to 256 No. Therefore the contingency was not fulfilled, thus voiding the Town Meeting vote.
Tags: Fiscal, Spending
5d2024 Oct 17
New
5 days agoVoter Authorization of New Hires
Similar vote against hiring a Housing Coordinator occurred in 2023.
The 2023 Town Meeting vote was contingent upon the passage of an override ballot question.
That override ballot question did NOT pass: 242 Yes to 338 No. Therefore the contingency was not fulfilled, thus voiding the Town Meeting vote.
Tags: Fiscal, Spending
5d2024 May 7
5 months ago
Candidate's Night
Select Board candidates present their views on government spending.
The following excerpts capture a couple of sentences of each Select Board candidate's response to a citizen's question.
-- excerpts are edited for brevity (<20 seconds) and clarity. To watch the full recording of Candidate's Night, please click here
-- excerpts are edited for brevity (<20 seconds) and clarity. To watch the full recording of Candidate's Night, please click here
Question by voter Dan Slater
What is your vision and plan to reduce the tax burden on the citizens of this town?
What is your vision and plan to reduce the tax burden on the citizens of this town?
Susan Girard-Irwin's response
Kevin Grunwald's response
Tim Hickey's response
Nancy Medoff's response
Tags: Fiscal, Spending
5m2024 Apr 11
5 months ago
Michael Forgione on Spending
Town government spending usually leads to higher taxes.
An article published in the April 2024 Truro Newsletter shows the rapid growth in both taxes and spending.
"In the four years from FY2021 to FY2025 the Town wants to grow its spending from $23,143,937 to $34,948,179. That is an increase of $11,804,242 or a 51% increase in spending. This is not sustainable."
Tags: Taxes, Spending
5m