Here is a letter from DLS regarding levy limits for FY14. As the school dept has to answer to the Dept of Education, the town must answer to the Bureau of Local Assessment/ Division of Local services. Unlike when you send in your tax return in April and you have a small chance of being audited, the Recap Sheet is first sent to the town's DOR rep Deb Wagner in the Springfield office, once she scrutinizes it, it is then sent to Boston to Joanne Graziano, Bureau Chief of the Div. of Local Services. All this info can be found at www.mass.gov/dls The tax rate cannot be set and January (actual) bills cannot go out until the recap sheet is approved.
Here is the link for a power point presentation on financial forum for Local Officials - I think all residents should view it - the whole thing and view it several times.
Thanks for reading, Pauly
I think the best thing to come out of this whole mess with the school is that people who had no idea how local government worked or who hadn't paid attention to where or how their tax money was spent will now understand it all a lot better. Now maybe people will ask more questions and pay attention more closely moving forward. In addition, maybe they will see that people on Pauly's blog or with Citizens for Templeton are not just causing friction but are actually speaking the truth. I hope people will stop placing blame where it doesn't belong. The current BOS is not the ones that are causing the issues. They are trying to solve them. I also hope that people will properly explain to their kids the real reason why there are cuts to the school budget. Bev is right. Its a good civics lesson. I think the Gansett Greatness folks had good intentions to start. It is very good to have a community support education. But, it cannot come at the expense of public safety which all 8000 residents rely on. Maybe they can put their efforts into fundraising to pay for the extra curricular activities. I know the town would support those efforts. Its not the kids that people do not want to support. I also agree that the school committee should regret their actions in all of this as they did not cooperate with the town or use good and rational judgement in their actions. Until every single department and committee in town realizes that we all have to work together and stop pitting one group against the other, this situation will continue to occur.
ReplyDelete