Chairman’s Report of Special Town Meeting

9-26-2006

Good day STAPAC Members. Well by now you have heard the School Committee’s Motion to Amend passed last night at Town Meeting.

The first question you have asked is:

Does this affect me or my taxes right now?

Answer: Is does not have an immediate impact.

The Sandwich Taxpayers Associations’ role all along has been to do our homework gathering the facts & pass them along to the public. My speech on your behalf last evening did just that. Again this action has no immediate impact. We opposed the motion strictly on its future ramifications based on documented & substantiated financial analysis.

Our Board of Selectmen has a fiduciary responsibility to this town. The Finance committee advises them on these matters.

They are our Financial Planners if you will. They are very good & very dedicated.

The School committee advocates for the Schools.

The Board of Selectmen & Finance committee CLEARLY & REPEATEDLY advised the School committee that their motion WILL put the Schools in a serious financial predicament very soon. (Not later than FY09- which will be the May 2008 Annual Town Meeting in 20 months).

The School Committee and 765 voters last night chose to ignore our financial planners’ advice and pass the motion to amend. I say this with no disrespect to the six members of the School committee who proposed this or the voters who passed it. They exercised their democratic rights. It is simply a matter of fact.

What happens now?

Well that is a matter of speculation as no one can predict the future.

All financial analysis done to date (hundreds of hours of work in the Long Range Plan) show that the School committee’s actions (and the 765 voters) will widen the structural deficit, before we can retire long term debt, and cause an approximate $1.5 million shortfall by that May 2008 Annual Town meeting (FY09 budget).

Chairman Randy Hunt has described it as hitting a wall at 60 mph.

Sadly the School committee and advocates for this motion will see the majority of cuts come from the Schools. There is a 70/30 split of funding between the School & Towns so 70% of the cuts WILL come from the School budget. That is approximately $1 million.

Like the saying goes; There are consequences for our actions...

What I will reiterate is that the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, & Sandwich Taxpayers Association Clearly & Repeatedly Advised these individuals of the Financial Risk & Ramifications of passing this Motion to Amend.

I ask you to REMEMBER this FACT!

I must address one item of concern. I had the opportunity to speak candidly with one of the proponents of the Petition Article. He assured me it was written only to assure that the full amount of the State Chapter 70 Aid was given to the Schools. They believed the Superintendent and School committee’s assertions that the Board of Selectmen was not going to do this.

I have known this gentleman for some time. He is as man of his word & I believe him. I related that it was our town counsels’ opinion, at a meeting we attended, that the wording did not pertain to Chapter 70 in any manner and was designed to appropriate money beyond the State aid. We both expressed that we wish we had met prior to this and discussed it for clarification. We both agreed this division was not healthy in our town.

How did this happen?

For the last several months the Board of Selectmen and Finance committee have stated they clearly & repeatedly told Superintendent Dr. Young, School Business manager Rick Reino, and the School committee of the new accounting change in regards to the 4% advance on state chapter 70 this year that was approved at Annual town meeting this past May. (this is the mysterious $226,000). Each of these individuals denied these meetings ever happened.

For the past several months WE have attended meetings and given documented proof to the Superintendent, Business manager, and School committee members that showed in fact they received this money. One School Committee member on not less than 2 occasions publicly expressed they had in fact been briefed and the money was in the School Base budget. We were rebuffed as was the School committee member who spoke up.

In the interim the media was printing reports that we knew to be false that confused and divided our community.

Then his past Thursday September 21st at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting the Chairman aired past Cable Access TV videotapes that, IRREFUTABLY, show these briefings DID in Fact take place. There were four separate meetings showing in depth briefings of committee members. This was all on VIDEOTAPE! It is also clear now that there were other meetings off camera that also detailed the new changes and the fact the money was appropriated. It is clear now that our Superintendent & Business manager were less than forthright with me and fellow board members.

We have, up to this point, tried for our part to maintain and open, honest, and collaborative relationship with ALL Boards & Administrators.

We are disappointed the Superintendent, School Business manager, and certain School committee members. If they had but admitted right up front they were informed of the facts but wanted more money beyond Chapter 70 funds we could have respected that. We would have advised them to listen to the Selectmen & Finance committee but would have respected their honesty.

I relate these facts as the The Sandwich Taxpayers Association’s future collaboration between the School Board & Administration is now in doubt.

As always I welcome all members’ opinions and input.

I know you are not shy!

Take care & stay informed,

Shawn Murray

Chairman Sandwich Taxpayers Association