By: Mary VitaleBROOKLINE – Town officials and activists spurred this week over whether Brookline taxpayers can afford to approve a tax override to close the town’s $3.5 million budget deficit and to cover expenses for new school programs.
Based on the findings of the Override Study Committee, the total override would cost taxpayers about $6.7 to $7.6 million. Residents and officials questioned where this money, not needed to essentially close the deficit, is coming from. The override is also calling for $1.5 million for town building repair and maintenance, $1.8 million to lengthen the Brookline school day and $800,000 for a world language school program, according to the committee’s recently published report.
Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen Nancy Daly said the board plans to put the override on the ballot in May, but has yet to decide how to present it to voters.
“The main question before us now is if we include these new programs in the overall override question or if we place them in a pyramid vote to allow voters to decide each clause individually,” Daly said.
A pyramid vote would allow residents in Brookline to vote separately on each proposal put forth by the OSC.
The Brookline School Committee unanimously voiced support for including the new school programs in the tax override last week. Chairwoman Judy Meyers said the programs are vital.
“All these components are really important for moving forward,” Meyers said. “We need these programs to continue to attract excellent teachers who must have adequate time within the school day to teach students all the required learning material.”
Friscia said the additional school programs should be included in the override because residents will only end up paying more to add them in future years.
“Brookline hasn’t had an override since 1994 and hopefully won’t need another one for a long time,” Friscia said. “Rather than put these off until a later date, it makes sense to include these in an override proposal.”
Critics of the override say the additional costs would manipulate voters into spending more of their tax dollars. The Brookline Coalition Against Unfair Taxation said the programs should not be funded until the Brookline budget is under control. Roger Blood, chairman of the BCAUT, said he and his coalition support the initial override to prevent future service cuts. However, he said the costs of the school initiatives should remain a separate question on the spring ballot.
“The prospect of loading and combining costs of new programs with the deficit crisis would be an inappropriate political move,” Blood said. “It is simply wrong to scare the voter on something to avoid cuts without realizing what they’re paying for. We just need to let the voter vote against tax cuts and that’s it.”
Some residents reject the idea of any tax override. Town Meeting member and President of the Brookline Taxpayers Association Michael Robbins said mishandled political spending has caused Brookline’s budget deficit. He added the town government has not considered the effects on lower income residents.
“Many people in Brookline cannot afford more taxes and we don’t want Brookline to become a town where poor people get squeezed out,” Robbins said. “We have to stand up for these citizens who are not usually the ones involved in the politics of the town because they are too busy working to make ends meet.”
Robbins said residents must continue opposing tax overrides because town and school officials are dishonest when they project the money needed for certain projects. He cited an incident a few years ago involving Brookline High School when the school committee claimed they needed $9,000 to build new science labs and ended up spending close to $4 million. Robbins said officials must cut excessive spending.
“Only when you say no to money that isn’t there will the town government start saving money by rejecting frivolous projects,” he said. “An example of this would be the large skyscrapers that some Town Meeting members talked about building. Saying no to things like that not only will cut costs for our residents, but will preserve the beautiful uniqueness of our town.”
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Based on the findings of the Override Study Committee, the total override would cost taxpayers about $6.7 to $7.6 million. Residents and officials questioned where this money, not needed to essentially close the deficit, is coming from. The override is also calling for $1.5 million for town building repair and maintenance, $1.8 million to lengthen the Brookline school day and $800,000 for a world language school program, according to the committee’s recently published report.
Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen Nancy Daly said the board plans to put the override on the ballot in May, but has yet to decide how to present it to voters.
“The main question before us now is if we include these new programs in the overall override question or if we place them in a pyramid vote to allow voters to decide each clause individually,” Daly said.
A pyramid vote would allow residents in Brookline to vote separately on each proposal put forth by the OSC.
The Brookline School Committee unanimously voiced support for including the new school programs in the tax override last week. Chairwoman Judy Meyers said the programs are vital.
“All these components are really important for moving forward,” Meyers said. “We need these programs to continue to attract excellent teachers who must have adequate time within the school day to teach students all the required learning material.”
Friscia said the additional school programs should be included in the override because residents will only end up paying more to add them in future years.
“Brookline hasn’t had an override since 1994 and hopefully won’t need another one for a long time,” Friscia said. “Rather than put these off until a later date, it makes sense to include these in an override proposal.”
Critics of the override say the additional costs would manipulate voters into spending more of their tax dollars. The Brookline Coalition Against Unfair Taxation said the programs should not be funded until the Brookline budget is under control. Roger Blood, chairman of the BCAUT, said he and his coalition support the initial override to prevent future service cuts. However, he said the costs of the school initiatives should remain a separate question on the spring ballot.
“The prospect of loading and combining costs of new programs with the deficit crisis would be an inappropriate political move,” Blood said. “It is simply wrong to scare the voter on something to avoid cuts without realizing what they’re paying for. We just need to let the voter vote against tax cuts and that’s it.”
Some residents reject the idea of any tax override. Town Meeting member and President of the Brookline Taxpayers Association Michael Robbins said mishandled political spending has caused Brookline’s budget deficit. He added the town government has not considered the effects on lower income residents.
“Many people in Brookline cannot afford more taxes and we don’t want Brookline to become a town where poor people get squeezed out,” Robbins said. “We have to stand up for these citizens who are not usually the ones involved in the politics of the town because they are too busy working to make ends meet.”
Robbins said residents must continue opposing tax overrides because town and school officials are dishonest when they project the money needed for certain projects. He cited an incident a few years ago involving Brookline High School when the school committee claimed they needed $9,000 to build new science labs and ended up spending close to $4 million. Robbins said officials must cut excessive spending.
“Only when you say no to money that isn’t there will the town government start saving money by rejecting frivolous projects,” he said. “An example of this would be the large skyscrapers that some Town Meeting members talked about building. Saying no to things like that not only will cut costs for our residents, but will preserve the beautiful uniqueness of our town.”
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