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Sandwich Long Range Plan Revisited July 2008 On July 10th the Board of Selectmen hosted a Tri-board meeting with the School and Finance Committees. The central theme - develop a process to update the Sandwich Long Range Plan and incorporate a School Department financial component into the document with all other town departments. A major part of the conversation, one we would support, was involving the people of Sandwich in the process. This would be done, presumably, in a manner similar to the April 2006 School Strategic Planning Forums, to solicit public feedback. We fully support any approach that engages all of our citizens in the process of managing our Government. Sandwich is at a critical juncture. We have an aging population, pressing public health and safety needs, and a rapid and continuing decrease in School student enrollment. Foreclosures continue to climb at a record pace and people are struggling to (1) pay our high taxes, (2) put food on the table, and (3) put gas into their cars. Public forums would provide an opportunity for ‘The People’ to set priorities for the Core Services we need and at the level we can afford. It would also provide citizens with more insight into the budget process and the widening structural deficit, driven by union contractual obligations and rising health care and pension costs. For example, the new teacher’s contract will add more than $1 million to School payroll next year and will exceed the tax dollars even a 4% budget increase can provide. The School Committee will be “in the red” before they even buy one textbook or new computer. The School Committee warned the Teachers Union that layoffs would be the result of their contract demands. Per testimony from our Chief of Police, before the Finance Committee, for a town our size we should be running four patrol cars. He often can only run three cars. Yet, even then, both the third and fourth cars are operated on overtime. Per national standards we should have 2 police officers per 1,000 residents. With a population of 23,000, that equals 46. We have only ‘35.5 total employees’ in our Police Department, including the Chief and administrative personnel! We need to address the less than adequate fire and emergency medical response times for parts of East and South Sandwich. Manning Station #2 would help. This would most likely necessitate hiring additional firefighters. Depending upon staffing requirements, some argue an override of $500,000- $1,000,000 would be needed, amounting to an increase of only $61-$91 per household. Alas, if only it were that simple!
Thus hiring additional personnel WITHOUT offsetting cost cuts in another area would add pressure for further overrides or cuts in services to keep the budget balanced. New spending must be offset with savings derived within existing funds and from limiting expenditures in and by other Town Departments The ‘easy way’ is to simply turn to the taxpayer to pay for the increases. But we have taken the easy way in the past, and it has NOT WORKED. And, given the current economic environment, an override will most likely fail. We have a community of dedicated and intelligent people. We say – involve Sandwich residents in the process and let’s find a better way to solve our problems and meet our needs and goals. The Sandwich Taxpayers Association Just the Facts- An Open Dialogue on our Structural deficit? This article opens a dialogue with Sandwich residents, to inform them of the magnitude of the rate of growth of guaranteed salary increases, health care, pensions and benefits of our union contracts and their impact upon municipal and education budgets. The annual cost to fund wage and benefit increases now exceeds income growth (revenue increases from all sources, short of an override). This difference is called a “structural deficit”. We have limited income sources, the principal source being the Proposition 2½ Tax Levy. Other revenue sources (new growth, local fees and state aid) have not appreciably grown for years. For FY 2009: Tax revenue will increase by about $1,009,000 (Proposition 2½) If new growth continues at past levels (extremely unlikely given current conditions), we can at best collect an additional $600,000. Budget increases (3½% per the current Warrant) are as follows: Municipal Budget increase: $493,095. (Police, Fire, DPW and all other municipal salary increases total $324,829, and consume 66% of this increase). School Budget Increase (including last year’s Chapter 70): $1,245,633. (Teacher and support personnel salary increases total $1,028,298 and consume 83% of this increase). Health Care costs will increase by $900,000. Pension obligations will increase by $178,000. Hence, the very best we can hope for is a FY2009 STRUCTUAL DEFICIT of $822,127. ($1,009,000 + $600,000 - $324,829 - $1,028,298 - $900,000 - $178,000 = $822,127) Let’s review our situation. The teachers’ contract provides 14 step increases, + 6 increments + longevity pay + extra duty pay, yielding an average annual pay increase of between 11-14% per year over the first 14 years of employment. Police, Fire, and DPW contracts provide 5 steps, 5 steps, and 9 steps respectively. So, factoring in all of the above, what’s the bottom line? 5.96% average annual Union employee salary growth over the past 10 years. 4.67% average annual non-union salary growth over the same timeframe. 18% average annual health care cost increase over the past decade. 10% average annual pension cost increase over the past decade. 3½% revenue growth during this same period. The magnitude of average annual spending outlined above vs. revenue growth is alarming. Its critical that Sandwich residents recognize where their money is going and the long-term consequences for this very large and widening disparity. Our Principal Assessor reports Sandwich is averaging 4-5 home foreclosures per month and 1/3rd of home sales are coming in below assessed value. This trend is worsening and more families are leaving town. Our Board of Selectmen oversees municipal union negotiations and the School Committee oversees education-related negotiations. So we rhetorically ask the following questions: 1) How much more are Sandwich residents willing to pay, knowing the overwhelming majority of their money is going towards automatic pay raises and benefits vs. educational resources for their children? 2) Will Sandwich taxpayers be willing and able to fund future overrides, knowing most all of the funds is slated to pay for automatic salary increases and escalating benefits costs? 3) At what point will the Sandwich Taxpayers “NO”? We do not have answers to the above questions; however, we do know that Sandwich’s union contracts cannot continue to grow as they have in the past. Our leaders need to address the rate of growth (e.g., lower annual percentage increases, and reduced step and longevity increases). Also, the Town’s current 75% health insurance contribution rate must be reduced similar to what is happening in other municipalities and the private sector.wichtaxpayer@yahoo.com Just the Facts – It’s Budget Season Once Again! Budget Season is here again and fiscal year 2009 will offer many challenges to our policy-making boards and Finance Committee. We’ve been hearing the term “structural deficit” mentioned quite frequently. This term has been discussed in the past and is significant enough to merit a substantive review. Basically, having a ‘structural deficit’ means a town’s expenditure increase (salaries plus pensions & health care, etc.) is greater than its ability to raise revenue (taxes, fees, etc.). Sure, taxes can be raised, but per MGL Ch 59 (aka Proposition 2½); annual tax increases cannot exceed 2½ % unless approved by a majority of voters participating in an override ballot. Additional tax dollars, generated by new construction and improvements to existing structures, may also be added to the 2½ % increase limit. Past growth and structural improvements have added between 1½ - 2% to the Sandwich revenue base, but projections indicate they will only add about 1% next year. Hence, we’ll most likely have only a 3.5 % revenue increase to meet our fiscal year 2009 needs. Sandwich annual expenditures are growing at a rate of 5.2 %. Yes, we receive state aid, but not enough to offset projected increases. Hence, we are going to face a fiscal year 2009 structural deficit. Here’s an example to illustrate the dilemma. This year, our ‘Health Insurance’ bill for all Town employees will increase by about $1.1 million. The ‘Proposition 2 ½’ increase amounts to about $1.0 million. Hence, our health care tab will eat up all of the property tax increases and then some, and there are more increases in expenditures to cover than just health insurance! So what do we do? Well, we only have 3 options - increase revenue, cut costs, or a combination of the two.
Increasing taxes is self-defeating. Families at all income levels are experiencing their own structural deficits due to the spiraling cost of living here and on Cape Cod in general. Trends on the economic horizon are not encouraging. Simply put, raising taxes will be vigorously opposed by the ‘affected’. Cutting costs –this too is difficult! While we have a fiscally efficient, well-run Community, labor costs are spiraling upward beyond our means. Reducing labor cost requires open and visible negotiations with Labor Unions to ensure public edification. School Committee negotiations with the teachers union are now in mediation. We need to achieve a fair and equitable contract that recognizes our fiscal reality. There appears to be some cost cutting opportunities, going forward, to achieve efficiencies gained from declining student enrollment. School Strategic Planning Initiatives are now in process and we await their recommendations. It is important to note that none of the above is new or unexpected. In fact, our Town Long Range Financial Plan identified the ‘Structural Deficit’ as an issue and prepared us for discussion and actions concerning this eventuality. We hope the foregoing was helpful and will enable Sandwich residents to better understand the process as we move through this years’ budget season. The Sandwich Taxpayers association.sandwichtaxpayerspac.o A Fair & Equitable Teachers Contract Just the Facts There is a growing dispute between the Sandwich Teachers Union and our School Committee over the new contract. Negotiation details are privileged, but it is clear negotiations are not going well as the two parties are in mediation. We believe a fair and equitable contract can and should be negotiated, and we appreciate the value of our teachers. They serve a crucial role in shaping the leaders and our labor force of tomorrow, just as their predecessors shaped the leaders and labor force of today. There are times, however, when the Teachers Union can get too aggressive in their demands. Above all, with respect to final contract agreement, two things are paramount: 1) Education must, first and foremost, be about children. 2) The education budget must respect taxpayer ability to pay. Our School Committee has stated they understand these priorities and are working to negotiate a contract that upholds them. Our Superintendent has publicly noted the following:
The current tax burden on Sandwich residents is having a profoundly negative impact on middle-income wage earners and seniors. Two thirds of our ‘Town Operating Budget’ goes to the Schools and current teachers’ salaries alone consume more than half of that budget (not counting benefits). So, it is critical that we achieve a fair contract with the Union , but one that is also fair to students and taxpayers as well. The term ‘fair and equitable’ may be subjective; hence, we have provided a summary below of various elements of the current teachers’ contract:
Adding up the above, a new teacher, with a BA Degree right out of college, who began teaching in Sandwich in Sept 1993, had a starting salary of $23,359 plus benefits. Today, 14 years later, that same teacher, who took no added courses (i.e., still had only a basic BA Degree) would earn $59,716. That’s a 155% increase over 14 years, or an average 11% increase per year! Those taking maximum extra courses (i.e., an MA Degree + 60 credits) would be making $69,091. That’s a 196% increase over 14 years, or an average of 14% per year. The ‘current Teachers Contract’, in its entirety, can be viewed on our website. We support achieving a fair, equitable, and collaborative ‘Teachers’ Contract’, but not at the expense of the priorities outlined above. We must eliminate the ‘Indemnity Health Plan’, with No Quid Pro Quo! It is critical we achieve a contract that does NOT force the School Committee to try to seek future funding outside of Proposition 2 ½ limits. Not only will that be difficult to justify, given the rapid decline in school enrollment, but it will also further burden our residents and drive additional people of moderate means out of Sandwich . This is a self-defeating prophecy. To the Teachers’ Union we say: People Cannot Support that which they cannot afford! Science books or payroll / benefits??? Who is running our Government? Just the Facts …Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed. The Declaration of Independence. Our founding fathers recognized that a Representative Democracy requires the final authority for governing society must rest with The People. The Massachusetts State Constitution reiterated this sentiment: …Therefore The People alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute Government, and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it. (Article VII). Given these words it is astounding to see modern day politicians repeatedly and flagrantly ignoring the will of the People. Have they not read these documents? In the year 2000 The People of Massachusetts overwhelmingly passed a statewide referendum to “roll back” the State Income Tax from 5.75% to 5%. This referendum culminated a nearly decade long crusade by the citizens of our Commonwealth to demand that the Legislature abide by their commitment to “roll back” the 1989 “temporary 18 -month tax hike” to 5%. We the People of Massachusetts exercised our Constitutional rights in this manner after being steadfastly ignored by our Representatives on Beacon Hill. By a 3 to 2 margin the voters Ordered our Legislators to do our bidding. This was Not a Request. Despite this mandate from The People our Legislature imposed a “temporary freeze” on the tax rate at 5.3% in 2002. They further ignored former Governor Mitt Romney’s attempt to fulfill this directive to lower the tax rate in 2005. Since 2005, there have been efforts in each budget cycle to honor the will of the voters and get our income tax back to 5% but the majority party has refused to honor the voters’ wishes. How can this be? How can our “employees” whom we entrust to represent us get away with such flagrant abuse of power? Because we the People re-elect them – or choose not to vote at all. What can we do to stop such egregious usurpation of power by politicians? Support those who abide by our directives and vote out of office those who do not. This year there is another initiative petition to repeal the income tax. Our State Representative from the 5th Barnstable District has been a vocal minority in the Legislature promoting this initiative as well as the one already passed by the voters. We encourage voters to support him in his efforts on our behalf. By joining our voices we may again become a Government…of the people, by the people, for the people…. Oct 26, 2007 Sandwich Taxpayers Group Praises Superintendent The Sandwich Taxpayers Association is known throughout town as a watchdog of school spending and is often viewed as taking an adversarial position to the stance of the school administration when it comes to the budget. However, at Wednesday night’s school committee meeting, association chairman Shawn P. Murray publicly applauded the administration and Superintendent Nancy E. Young. “We would like to thank Dr. Young for her balanced presentation regarding enrollment,” Mr. Murray said referring to a presentation Dr. Young gave at the last school committee meeting regarding the district’s shrinking student population. “The Sandwich Taxpayers Association wishes to publicly advocate for two proposals put forth at the last school committee meeting; one by Dr. Young and the other by [committee member Robert J. Guerin.” At that meeting, Dr. Young discussed a school enrollment decline of almost 200 students from the previous school year, the most dramatic one-year drop in the town’s history. Dr. Young attributed that decline to young families moving away and older couples taking their place in town. She called for a long-range facilities use study, despite being apprehensive that there would be fruitful results. Mr. Murray stated that his group supported the idea for such a study, which would look at the possibilities in redistricting students, reorganizing the town’s schools, closing a school, and/or closing down the elementary schools’ modular classrooms. He said that the group agreed with Dr. Young that the decline is a part of a “larger demographic shift in population.” He added that he was disturbed that in a town the size of Sandwich, it was averaging two home foreclosures per month and that 25 percent of home sales were coming in under their assessed value. “Middle income families with two-plus children appear to be the hardest hit,” he said. “The US Census Bureau data clearly show that Massachusetts imposes some of the highest tax burdens on its residents, in virtually every category tracked by the bureau, in the nation. We have earned the nickname Taxachusetts.” Mr. Murray said that Massachusetts was in the top 10 in the nation in almost every unfavorable tax category such as state income tax burden per capita, state individual income tax per capita, federal tax burden, and the total percentage of income paid in federal, state, and local taxes. He said that Sandwich has the highest property tax bills on the Cape and is in the top third in the state. Members of the taxpayers group have said in the past that with the high tax burden and high cost of living in Sandwich, money could possibly be saved if one of the K-8 schools was closed. Also at the October 10 meeting, school committee member Robert F. Guerin suggested that the covenant committee, which is a committee comprising members of the board of selectmen, the school committee, and the finance committee and that was formed to promote a positive working relationship between the boards, be dissolved and reorganized, saying that it had outlived its usefulness because the boards had accomplished their original goals. Furthermore, Mr. Guerin suggested that the restructured committee become a full-time committee in town that would meet regularly and perhaps bring department heads into the process as well. Speaking on behalf of the taxpayers group, Mr. Murray agreed. “The covenant committee has done solid work and has laid the foundation for full integration and elimination of redundant mechanisms between the municipal and school departments and possible cross-utilization of personnel and equipment,” Mr. Murray said. It is time to take this effort to the next level. So I would like to formally advocate on behalf of the taxpayers association that this board consider Mr. Guerin’s proposal and act on it as you see fit.” Mr. Murray also suggested that Mr. Guerin’s proposal be added to the strategic plan goal of community partnerships under the school committee goals for the current school year. School committee members listened intently to Mr. Murray before moving into a discussion about MCAS and Adequate Yearly Progress. This discussion will be continued at their next meeting. September 2007 CPA Funding for Our Town Hall Just the Facts Have you ever been to Town Hall? Does this seem like a silly question? Here’s another; have you ever been on the second floor of Town Hall? If you have, you were probably disappointed in what you saw. So why is a taxpayer group writing a newspaper column about this town asset? The answer is simple; it’s worth preserving and saving for future generations. Last year, the Town hired a Historical Architect to assess what needed to be done to preserve, update, and bring the building to code for its future use year round. The final report and cost analysis from the architect estimates a cost of $1.5 million. Where will the money come from? The Community Preservation Act (CPA) with approval from Town Meeting. Application for funding will be submitted by the Board of Selectmen to our Community Preservation Committee (CPC), who administers the 3% CPA tax already collected from property owners. (Former Land Bank) To date, we have received a dollar for dollar match from the State for our CPC. There are no new taxes associated with this method of financing for this project. The CPC funds are meant to be used for three purposes: Historic preservation, open space/recreation, and affordable housing. Some of the “big ticket” items the Sandwich residents have voted to approve include: The Upper Shawme Pond Dam, Hoxie House, First Church of Christ; The High School track and field complex; the playgrounds at Oak Ridge, Wing, Forestdale and Sandwich adventure; the 28 acre William Makepeace property; and Funds for Sandwich housing authority and housing assistance corporation. Why spend this kind of money now for an old building? To date we have received full matching funds from the State but in the near future the act’s trust fund will not be able to do so in large part because many more communities have “jumped on the bandwagon” thus diluting the total matching funds available for Sandwich . Our Town Hall was built in 1834 in a Greek Revival architectural style. It came into being as a result of an 1833 State Referendum to ratify the separation of church and state in the Commonwealth’s Constitution. Previously, Town Meeting had met in the Congregational Meeting House at the corner of River and Main Street . Town Hall is not only an architectural symbol, but also the embodiment of our roots of government. Over the past 2 centuries, Town Hall, including the second floor, was where Town Meeting took place, as well as many community and social events. It could seat up to 500 people. On the 200 th anniversary of our country’s independence, Town Hall and the surrounding area, was designated by the Federal Government in the National Register of Historic Places as the Town Hall Square Historic District. Town Hall has been the seat of Sandwich government since it creation, over 173 years ago, and still houses the offices for our Town Administrator, Assistant Town Administrator, Human Resources, Treasurer, Accounting, and Board of Selectmen. The Town Hall is a working functional asset for our town. The preservation and restoration of the second floor will provide a large meeting hall for community events by a variety of groups and organizations. This is something that has long been needed. Most importantly; Town Hall is a unique, highly visible, frequently photographed symbol of our town. It is a true landmark of our town and its history. June 2007 Taxpayers Association supports relocation! Just the Facts Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “I consider it a public duty to answer falsifications with facts.” Hence, this is in response to comments made in a column entitled Common Sense; Common Wealth by Joe Seagull (Friday June 15 th edition.) Mr. Seagull states the School Committee exercised good common sense by moving the administration offices from the Clark Haddad building to other school property. He then claims the Taxpayers Association said, quote: “Should have done it differently says our watchdog taxpayer group spokesperson. Young and Reino of course being at fault.” The column implies the Taxpayers Association was against this idea. Well, we publicly advocated for this move several months before Committee approval and we supported and congratulated them on their decision. It was their choice where to relocate the superintendent and staff. This latest issue regarding reduction in State reimbursement resulted from incomplete research done by the administrative staff. It has caused the School Committee some concern, but we trust they will exercise good judgment and they will find space to relocate these folks that will not substantially reduce our State reimbursement. That aside, we thank Mr. Seagull for his column. It now gives us an opportunity to address some longstanding misconceptions regarding positions we have taken on school issues. We complimented our educational leadership for: The school public forum; development & implementation of an Education Strategic Plan; Covenant Committee collaboration with the Board of Selectmen; the School Safety Committee; & the candor and openness of FY08 budget deliberations. We recognized the outstanding achievement of our principals and students who excel in virtually every category tracked by the Mass. DOE and we publicly thanked them for their diligence and their recognition of Sandwich taxpayers’ ability to pay. With respect to ‘ability to pay’, we advocate that the Education Budget “ growth rate ” can and should decline. That’s it - pure & simple! Since 2003, the cost to educate a Sandwich student has increased over 48% (9.6% per year), while actual enrollment declined by 538 students (minus 13%), and the Committee’s own study indicates declining enrollment will continue for the next several years. This ‘budget growth rate’ diverts sorely needed money from ‘all other town budgets’. Mr. Seagull quotes “Perhaps our watchdogs were a bit surprised at the results of the meeting with the Chapter 70 guru recently. I understand he did let a little air out of the often-quoted balloon labeled declining enrollment”. There is no nice way to say this Mr. Seagull, but you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! The ‘meeting’ you referred to is the recent ‘Chapter 70 Symposium’ that WE, the Taxpayers Association, hosted! It was a public service that WE were happy to provide and one that gave town leaders and residents a clearer understanding of how the new Chapter 70 Formula works and how it will impact Sandwich in the future. It was well attended by town leaders and the community at large. (Clearly you were not present!) Representative Jeff Perry and Mass DOE’s Roger Hatch were guest speakers and WE were particularly gratified that community members, who lobbied so hard for changes to the formula, were able to see the positive results of their long lobby effort. . Sandwich is a wonderful community that is fortunate to have talented & dedicated individuals that run our town and a proactive group of citizens that participate in the process. The Sandwich Taxpayers Association is but a part of that mix. We advocate for all taxpayers in a conscientious manner for the betterment of our community.erspac May 2007 UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR VOTE! Well, it’s that time again: Town Meeting & Town Elections. “We the People” of Sandwich will decide how our money will be spent, and who will spend it. With respect to spending our money, it is important to understand that there are two parts to our town government; Municipal & School. Municipal government provides services to all residents and the School Department provides it services to our students. So what is the cost per resident to operate our Municipal government and what is the cost per student to operate our Schools? Let’s look back over five years and examine how much the cost per resident and the cost per student have increased. In FY07 the Municipal Government budget cost was $657 per resident. This year’s budget request (minus education-related items) will cost $689—a $32 per resident increase. This is a 4.9% increase over last year. Over the past five years Municipal costs have risen only 10.2% ($626 per resident in FY03 vs. $689 this year). That’s just over 2% per year. Congratulations to our Selectmen and Municipal Department heads who fought hard to keep costs down, especially when you consider inflation, which increased by 13.9% over the last 5 years. Now for a look at the Education side of the balance sheet. (For this exercise, we’ve excluded UCC Regional Technical School, school debt service, or school-related capital expenditures.) In short, we used Net School Spending figures, which the Superintendent reports to the State. In FY07, the School budget cost was $8,977 for each student (3,751 students). This year’s budget request will cost $9,849 for each student (3,590 students). Note: FY08 enrollment projections were taken from the NESDEC report, commissioned by the School Committee. This is a 9.7% increase over last year. In FY03 we spent $6,631 for 4,137 students. That’s a whopping 48.5% increase per student over that last 5 years. (And don’t forget, inflation was only 13.9 %.) How many of you have experienced a 48.5% increase in household income over the last five years? Probably not many of you. Given these results, we cannot give the School Committee and Superintendent the same high praise we gave to our Selectmen and Municipal Department heads. We do credit their dedication but there is room for improvement in achieving efficiencies to reduce the rapid growth of their budget. So what does this mean to us in light of the upcoming election? Well, we now have a better understanding of what we’ll be voting for . . . or against. When casting your votes to fill Selectman and School Committee vacancies, ask yourselves whether you are pleased with money management in Sandwich? With the ways the Selectman and the School Committee members run their houses? Are you satisfied with the results outlined above? Can you live with the rapidly escalating tax burden attributable to an average 9.7% per year per student increase in our Education Budget? Your vote will determine whether the town will continue its current spending policies or make the changes necessary to place Sandwich on a sound and reasonable financial footing. And when casting your votes on other important issues, all of which almost always have significant financial consequences, a look at the past can often guide you on how to cast your vote, and the consequences of your vote for the future of our town!wichtaxpayerspac.org April 6, 2007 Kudos to Our Town Employees As a financial watchdog organization, the Sandwich Taxpayers Association has earned a reputation of being...well...somewhat negative. We’re not surprised; our mandate involves pointing out areas of waste, identifying organizations that live beyond their means, and insisting that not every problem can be solved by dipping again and again and again into the taxpayers’ wallets. Consequently some folks see the Association as fiscal conservatives interested only in reducing property taxes without regard to services. Admittedly, we are fiscal conservatives but we also recognize that it takes money and qualified people to run a government. Hence, we would like to take this opportunity to point out—and to applaud—some folks in our town government who have acted in a fiscally responsible manner, who understand taxpayers aren’t an endless source of money, and who have found ways to spend less and still get the job done. Let’s have a round of applause for our Human Resources staff and the Treasurer’s Office for saving the town $600,000. This was done by getting employees to change from their over priced Indemnity health insurance plan to less expensive, more comprehensive health insurance plans. Town employees can still select the one that best meets their needs. This was accomplished with the help of the various unions, especially the municipal unions. This isn’t a one-time savings event. These savings will continue year after year. Speaking of insurance, the town was able to save another $144,000—again on a yearly basis—in property and liability insurance. This was accomplished by: re-evaluating our insurance needs to better match the value of the equipment used by the fire, police, and highway departments and by having all emergency response employees trained in defense driving. For this savings we can thank the efforts of our town’s Safety Committee. There are many other efforts that succeeded in producing real savings. For example, instead of buying new locks at the schools, they were able to have them checked, refurbished as needed, and reinstalled by school maintenance personnel, saving nearly $30,000. Another savings—this one a bit more difficult to assess—has to do with the upgraded High School fire alarm system. The upgraded system has resulted in no false alarms at the high school last year. Previously, there had been several per year. The upgraded system will result in an estimated savings of $5,000 to $10,000 per year. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Space limitations keep us from listing all of the people and groups that worked hard to make do with less money. One instance stands out however. High school students in the wood shop program made letters for marking the sides of all school buildings to assist with the school safety plan. They provided the labor while Shepley Wood Products provided the lumber. The savings was about $1,200. And speaking of private sector help, Aubuchon Hardware donated some $1,200 worth of magnets to keep classroom doors secure. Come to think of it, we rather enjoyed this. It’s nice to give credit where credit is due, to pat someone on the back for a job well done. But don’t worry, we’re not going soft. We’re still going to do our best to root out waste and fight budgetary gluttony wherever we find it. But for today, we’re content with passing out a few well -deserved kudos to those who have done their part to stretch scarce town funds. Thank You. Mar 2, 2007 Joe Seagull Open Your Own Checkbook Just the Facts This month we’d like to respond to Joe Seagull’s rather inflammatory article “Amen and Pass the Checkbook,” ( February 16, 2007). Joe, in your column, you wrote: “I’ll put almost a half century in this community as an active citizen up against the rhetoric of recent washashores any day of the week.” Let’s put aside that rather condescending & polarizing comment for the moment and concentrate on Just the Facts. Given your half-century in town, your references to school roof repairs and septic system failures reveals very little understanding of how our School and General Government Budgets are prepared. You seem to think that if we reduce the school budget (known as the operating budget) because of our rapidly falling student enrollment that somehow we wouldn’t have enough funds in the school budget for necessary repairs. Listen Joe, the School Committee has never been asked—nor are they now being asked—to fund capital improvements out of their budget. Capital improvements for the schools come from a separate town fund (known as the Capital Budget). This year alone, our Selectmen have proposed that we spend $307,000 in capital improvements for our schools (including roof repairs). Furthermore Joe, the rapid decline in school enrollment has prompted our School Committee to ask our Superintendent for a school district cost/benefit realignment analysis. They also support the possible sale of the Dewey Ave. administration building. This makes it clear that the growth rate of the school district operating budget can and should decline. More than your misunderstanding about town budgetary matters Joe, we are deeply concerned about what seems to be a cavalier attitude towards the rapidly increasing tax burden on your fellow citizens. Your solution for fixing our monetary problems is simply more taxes or, as you put it: “some infusion of tax money.” Sounds like yet another override to us. Then you go on about the hardship that increased taxes places on fixed-income citizens and how we must “explore means testing/abatements and other devices” to aid those in that category. Hello—we have the Senior Citizen Circuit Breaker Credit, the Council on Aging outreach programs, numerous AARP tax programs, etc. Despite these and other assistance program, folks on fixed income cannot keep up with their increasing tax bills. Who can say what will happen if you get your way and taxes are raised yet again? Above and beyond the folks on fixed incomes, the working people of Sandwich are having a tough time coping with tax bills that rise at double digit rates. For many the only solution is to leave our community. There are towns in the state like Duxbury, Weston, and Wayland that have median incomes more than twice that of Sandwich and have tax bills commensurate with those high incomes. Perhaps one of these towns would be more suited to your tax and spend desires. Joe, we don’t pretend to know your financial situation. However, by the tone of your article, we could infer that you might be willing to pay more in taxes. If so, you have our thanks; the town could use a charitable donation from an affluent citizen. We take exception however, to your apparent willingness to spend other peoples’ money. Maybe Joe it’s time to stop berating others and lead the way by opening your own checkbook. The Sandwich Taxpayers Association Feb 2, 2007 Just the Facts, Governor Patrick, Just the Facts The road to elected office is strewn with promises: “I will never lie to you,” Jimmy Carter “No new taxes,” George H. W. Bush “I will not raise taxes on the middle class,” Bill Clinton In the case of Deval Patrick, he made more than his share of campaign promises on the way to the governor’s office and for Sandwich, those promises—if fulfilled—may have dire consequences. Let’s start with something we can all relate to—property taxes—which candidate Patrick promised to cut. Like all campaign promises, this one sounds great: who isn’t for lower taxes? However, think for a minute; local officials decide property tax levels, not the Governor. So how can he lower property taxes? Perhaps he plans to increase aid to towns, which would allow us to lower property taxes. But what did Deval Patrick say about local aid? During his campaign, Patrick promised to return local aid to pre-2000 levels. We can’t speak for other towns, but for Sandwich (and we suspect other Cape towns), this could mean trouble. For example, let’s look at education aid. In 2007 Sandwich is slated to receive $6.2 million in state aid. However, in 1999 we received just $2.9 million. If Governor Patrick keeps his promises, we’ll have to increase property taxes to cover the $3.3 million reduction. Even if you adjust this for inflation, the result is still a $1.8 million shortfall. Then there is the promise to revise the State Chapter 70 Education formula. This formula determines how much money each town will receive for its schools. The new Governor has promised to revise the formula to place greater weight on “under-performing” districts. Sandwich students are among the highest performing in the state. Does this mean we will be getting less? Will we be penalized for our children doing well in school? (That sound you hear is our property taxes going up again.) Of course, all is not as bad as it seems. Our new Governor suggested that towns can increase their revenue, if necessary, by instituting additional local taxes, meal taxes, room taxes and the like. This would have a negative impact on a tourist-oriented town like Sandwich. Let‘s get away from the depressing talk of tax increases for a moment and look at police. Patrick promised to put “1,000 new police officers on the streets.” That sounds good, but it begs the question: how are we going to pay for them? That brings us back to taxes—and by that we mean tax increases. So what other ideas has Governor Patrick come up with that we need to consider? Regarding economic development, Patrick opined that “Cities can and should serve as hubs for regional growth.” Since Sandwich isn’t a city we can assume we won’t be part of the plan, and therefore receive no benefits from this costly initiative. (You didn’t expect it to be free did you?) Improving public transportation was another promise. Candidate Patrick vowed to invest in rail and subway extensions, service upgrades, etc. Cities will be getting more, and little towns like Sandwich will be left stranded by the side of the road. These and other promises will cost money. You can be sure that even if we receive no benefit from them, the Sandwich citizens will be expected to help foot the bill. When it comes to campaign promises, Candidate Patrick sure kept up with tradition established by generations of politicians before him. Let’s hope that Governor Patrick continues with the tradition of breaking them before it’s too late. Jan 5, 2007 Just the Facts: Sandwich School Committee Spending!Here’s a mystery story for you. It’s full of contradiction and paradox and puzzling situations: all the elements of a good suspense story. There are antagonists and protagonists and innocent victims. The only problem is, we don’t know the ending. Let’s lay out the basic plot. Over the past three years, Sandwich education spending has increased by 20% while the student body has decreased by 9%. Let’s restate that: While Sandwich ‘Net School Spending’ increased by more than $5.6 million, enrollment in the Sandwich school system dropped by 375 students. What’s more, it’s only going to get worse. Our Superintendent continues to insist our school population is declining slowly, despite a School Committee-purchased study projecting a drop of another 154 students next year, and a total 479 student enrollment drop (12.5%) over the next 5 years. All this doesn’t exist in a vacuum: since the largest portion of the town’s budget is Net School Spending and it is the main reason that town taxes increased by 22% percent over the last three years. Now here’s the tragic element: during this time, the average per capita income in Sandwich has increased by slightly less than 5%. So what’s going on? Where is this extra money going? (This is the mystery part of the story.) Some of the increase was because we were playing catch-up due to previous budget shortfalls, and some of it was due to inflation. But much of it went to pay for new teachers and support staff, and let’s not forget their raises. Of course we need teachers and supplies—books, computers, maintenance—and all the myriad items critical to giving our students a proper education. But wait a minute—the school population has been consistently dropping and, according to a School Committee requested study, provided by the New England School Development Council, will continue to drop well into the foreseeable future. (For more detailed information, see the article that appeared on page 9 of the December 15th Sandwich Enterprise.) So what gives? Is this the end of the story? It will be if you stay at home, let other folks attend town meetings and don’t bother to raise your voices. It will be just a repeat of what has happened year after year—our taxes, and Net School Spending, will continue to increase without regard to a rapidly decreasing student population, or your ability to pay. Or, you can get involved, take an active role in what’s going on, and decide just how this story will end. Dec 1, 2006 Long Range ThinkingThe following is a column authored by members of the Sandwich Taxpayers Association. The column, titled Just the Facts, will run monthly in The Sandwich Enterprise. If you’ve watched or attended recent Town Meetings you’ve probably heard references to the Long-Range Plan. However, few of us have seen this document. What is it and why does the board of selectmen keep talking about it? Several years ago, our selectmen spent the better part of their Cape Cod summer gathered in a small room at town hall drafting a plan to deal with the financial train wreck that was upon us. A rapid growth spurt in population, an inadequate state education aid formula, reductions in other state revenues and a 90 percent residential tax base were combining to form a “perfect storm” for fiscal disaster. We needed a plan and we needed it fast. What they crafted was a snapshot of Sandwich past and present, and a plan to deal with the future. Those in the business world know the importance of such a plan; to the rest of us, it just makes good sense. To the casual reader, this 127-page document can be daunting and, as such, most folks are happy to let our elected officials keep up on it. However, because our tax bills are in the top one-third statewide, this document is something that has been closely examined by The Sandwich Taxpayers Association. (More about who we are below.) Examples of how this document earns its keep are as follows: • It shows that our “over age 60” population is increasing, while the student enrollment is rapidly decreasing. • It highlights the need to increase our commercial tax base. Town leaders are already addressing these issues. How? They are selling the last large piece of town-owned commercial property—the Golden Triangle—for $6 million. A portion of that property will be developed as commercial space, which will generate commercial tax revenue. The remainder will be used largely for affordable, age-restricted housing, which will also generate tax revenue. As for the declining student enrollment, we continue to see increasing free space in our schools (there are currently more than 600 empty seats). Ultimately, this could allow for consolidation of town and school administrative functions within one or more of school buildings. The result? We could spend more of the school budget dollars on textbooks and computers instead of empty space. Members of the Sandwich Taxpayers Association have been deeply involved in these issues. We are a group of Sandwich citizens concerned with the rapidly escalating residential tax burden—tax bills have increased 102 percent in 10 years. Our goal is simple: inform the citizens about issues in light of the facts (tucked away in the Long-Range Plan, for example) so they can make informed decisions. We collect information from town and state documents, studies, web sites, et cetera, and, in turn, make it available to you through our web site, Cable access TV, public forums, and, now, through this monthly column.ww.SandwichTaxPayersPAC. Aug 4, 2006 Taxpayers Assoc. Celebrates BirthdayThe Sandwich Taxpayers Association, a group formed to lobby for relief from the seemingly ever-increasing tax burden on the residents of Sandwich, is now a year old.
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