The West Hartford Taxpayers Association had a small army of citizens out gathering signatures, and they claimed that people couldn't sign the petitions fast enough, despite an effort put out by WHFirst to pass out leaflets asking people to refrain from signing and to "support the schools".
The Town Clerk verified that the WHTA gathered more signatures than the required 6 percent of registered voters. The actual number of signatures needed was 2,295 and the Town Clerk certified 2,405 names, with about 400 more names on sheets that hadn't been verified because they weren't needed.
So there will be a referendum in June on the $216.7 million budget passed in April by the town council. The budget would inflict another tax increase; this time 2.24%, on West Hartford taxpayers.
The Courant reported that a referendum will cost taxpayers about $40,000.
Since the number of registered voters in West Hartford is somewhere around 38,250 (because 6 percent of that is 2,295; the number of signatures needed) - that means the cost of having a referendum is roughly $1.00 per voter! Many in town would gladly pay $1.00 to vote to keep their taxes from going up yet again!
The WHTA contends that the $121 million school portion of the budget needs further trimming, including discretionary spending, operating expenses, and salaries and pensions, especially in light of dismal finances predicted for the 2011-12 fiscal year for the town and state. They say that further prudent cuts now will go a long way, and are necessary to prepare for more than $10 million in revenue shortages the town likely will face next year. The Mayor complains that WHTA is demanding "a pound of flesh from the School Board" even though he himself has admitted (sources say) that the Board's budget has been too high. He has gone several times to beg the School Board to rein in their spending. He is hoping that they will make bigger cuts next year. We cannot build budgets on hope.
WHFirst is claiming that this is only a "modest increase" in taxes - the WHTA says that BOE spending has risen 4.3% this year alone, and 61% over the past 10 years! These continual "modest increases" add up, and the WHTA is saying that the Town and the BOE must look to the future and control this growth now. The mentality of "spend as you go" is unsustainable.
WHFirst is also saying that this was a budget with bi-partisan support - so even the "Republican" who turned Democrat, and other Republicans voted for it. The WHTA says that they are not a partisan organization, so partisan or non-partisan voting is not at issue here: spending and taxation is.
WHFirst claims that with the budget in the last two years, we have had elementary classrooms with 28 kids, lost some of the world language program, reduced textbook and supply budgets, and lost vacuum leaf collection. Now with this budget they claim lost positions, higher fees, cuts in traffic system projects, reduced number of school buses, and a one day shorter school year. Yawn. The fact is that even after the Mayor pleaded with the Board of Education to cut expenses the BOE still came back with a mere $24,000 in cuts from a record $127 Million budget - that's a whopping .002% Reduction! Meanwhile, on the Town side we have seen some real effort and streamlining of expenses. The Townside even gave up $825,000 of Blue Back settlement money to help fund the school budget; money which should have gone to reduce Town debt.
WHFirst neglects to talk about the tens of thousands of dollars put aside as "discretionary school spending" and the money the school system is losing on Pre-school and Open Choice programs. They neglect to talk about the upcoming loss of stimulus money, and ways in which the Board of Education should be proactive in preparing for that loss of funding next year.
While it is reported that there were 27 jobs "cut" from the schools and five from the town, most jobs were already vacant, or are budgeted for and not yet filled, and there would be only some real layoffs.
Support the schools - Sure - but the Board of Education must do as the Mayor and Town Manager requested initially, and have continued to request, and that is for the Board of Education to make some really meaningful programming and policy changes that will insure that self sustaining programs are in fact self sustaining and that expenses in all areas of their budget are brought under control.
With 8% unemployment in town and record number of foreclosures, everyone must tighten their belts, including the Board of Education.
So far, 2,800+ voters in town who signed petitions agree that more taxes are unacceptable.
No doubt this debate will rage until referendum day.
Let's keep it civil folks.
7 WH Responses:
Pretty fair analysis of the situation.
The only thing you might have added is that we have entered the next revaluation. We are going to see the tax burden in town shift to the lower income families in the less expensive homes. These lower priced homes have the been the ones appreciating recently, whil the more expensive ones have been dropping.
The tax situation for the town is not looking good for at least the next 2-3 years.
When is the referendum going to be held?
Has it even been decided yet?
Let's get serious for just a minute. This isn't about the budget or taxes at all. It's the usual tea party tempest. Simple fact: No city or town as large and complex as ours has done a better job balancing the budget this year or come up with a more fiscally prudent result -- expenditure and revenue increases that barely track inflation. 1.5%? 2.75%Over a hundred fewer jobs on the school side. West Hartford is worth it.
To Anonymous 11:43AM
2,800 people who signed the petitions were not "the usual tea party" people - even if you'd wish they were to prove some sort of deranged point. The WHTA is not the tea party either. I think you have your organizations mixed up along with your facts.
But Taxed Enough Already probably sums up the sentiment of many people in town. In case you hadn't noticed there are other towns doing much better.
According to statistics we have very high per capita debt and a very high cost of living. Our per pupil costs are higher too. You call that fiscally prudent?
If you are all for paying more in taxes, then you can personally go right ahead. The town does accept donations you know. Write out that check today. You'll feel much better.
"According to statistics"
The unattributed stat strikes again.
"Our per pupil costs are higher too."
Higher than what? According to the administration, West Hartford is 97th in per pupil spending out of 169 districts in Connecticut. This fact has been pointed out here many times before.
What other towns are doing much better? Better how?
By the way, all the stuff you say West Hartford FIRST "claims" is actually true.
Why even drag out the tortured logic with regard to bipartisan support of the budget? Do you never reflect on why so many people have fled the local GOP?
Anonymous didn't read the latest issue of Hartford Magazine.
(But that doesn't count)
Newsflash * There is NO West Hartford GOP * most are a bunch of Democrats Lite. You think Adler and company are Republicans? Hah! That's a laugh. Davidoff has always been a Democrat since the day he switched parties to run for the GOP.
As for West Hartford FIRST, they are all a bunch of tax me more gimme more elitists this time "co-led" by a Post New Yorker Socialist seemingly obsessed with bashing Tea Party politics, who probably pays less than most people do in West Hartford property taxes.
My Kiplinger's trumps your Hartford Magazine.
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