Who Do Westborough Selectman Represent?
BONUS: 2 Letters to Editor Below
By Len Mead
March 11, 2011
On behalf of hundreds of citizens pleading for lower taxes in our recent FINCOM survey, last week I requested that our selectman place a legal tax underride question on our May 3d ballot. By permitting such a ballot question, our selectman would be allowing for a vigorous public debate and then a free vote – up or down – on whether our taxes are now acceptable or whether total town revenues should be reduced a small 2.2%*. I assumed the selectman would be delighted to let us vote on this issue as our trusted “representatives.”
Rather than respond to my request for the right to vote on the issue, the selectman called for our town manager to put on a prepared slide show which concluded that if citizens had the audacity to vote, “YES” for slightly lower taxes, the only action possible by public officials would be dozens of firings. Somehow the idea of economizing or re-negotiating down existing pay, pension and benefit packages (so nobody is fired) wasn’t an option considered.
The selectman used their time to argue for their own voting position on my proposed underride ballot question, (VOTE NO!) The attitude they displayed was that they don’t believe we citizens should have the right to consider the merits of a tax underride question and then vote on it in the privacy of a voting booth – while they do beforehand and may refuse us the opportunity.
After steaming for twenty minutes watching this bizarre behavior, I raised my hand to be recognized and was ignored. Then I started interrupting them to request they consider my request that WE be able to vote – not whether THEY would approve a yes or no vote on the issue.
I was quickly told, “Be quiet or you will be ejected.” Shocked, I responded, “Really? You’re serious? You’re throwing me out?” Police Chief Alan Gordon was then called to eject me which he did with respect and class. I admit I did a bit of shouting at that point – on your behalf, Dear Reader. Something like, “What the hell kind of representatives are those guys?”
Like you, as a citizen and taxpayer of Westborough, I very much enjoy living here. My objective for these columns has always been to inform you of financial and other political trends, then give you my conclusions -- which may or may not please you. The factual basis for my conclusions, however, has been pretty sound. I have always sent these articles first to public figures mentioned in them requesting that any factual errors be corrected before being in print. Occasional corrections have been gratefully received.
My opinion now is that with our taxes about $3,000 over the state average, our elected selectman could at least permit us to vote on an underride ballot question that might lower our community’s total revenues only 2.2% from this year to next and save average property owners about $237. Come to think of it, if our taxes were only 32% over the state average instead of 64% as they are now, do you think the average property owner would have trouble spending the $1,500 they wouldn’t have to send to our tax collector?
If our selectman refuse to allow us to vote up or down on a ballot question lowering our tax levy limit in the depths of a recession, one has to wonder who our selectman really represent. One could reasonably conclude they are not representing citizens who pay for needed services. Rather, they are defensively representing current excessive spending and representing town and school employees who might actually suffer a slight pay, benefit, or pension reduction if average property taxes don’t keep rising to the sun. The selectman actually seem proud our taxes are only 64% over the state average.
There is still time for justice -- for our selectman to let us vote on a tax underride. One selectman appears ready to allow it. If just two others out of five have the integrity to let us vote, we’ll get the opportunity to hear the arguments pro or con and then freely express our opinion to slightly lower our taxes (or not) in the polling booth May 3d.
*Town Manager Jim Malloy has questioned my 2.2% calculation and I believe our differences are that my percent change is total town revenue change if an underride is approved and his percent change may be property tax revenue change alone.
Len Mead is a Westborough resident and can be reached anytime at mead1720@gmail.com