Letter: It is time the COA starts listening to residents

Posted 6/13/18

To the editor:

Taxpayers deserve better.

After last year’s tax increase of 8.2 percent, the newly elected Committee on Appropriations stated at the outset of this year’s process …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: It is time the COA starts listening to residents

Posted

To the editor:

Taxpayers deserve better.

After last year’s tax increase of 8.2 percent, the newly elected Committee on Appropriations stated at the outset of this year’s process that their goal was to limit the budget increase to 2 percent. 

This year’s budget increase was actually 3.3 percent. It is masked by the $5 million car tax relief Barrington is expected to get from the state. So while the increase to taxpayers this year is 2.2 percent, the COA allowed an increase in spending of 3.3 percent. 

There was no evident attempt made during the budget process to work with the town or school administration to reach the 2 percent goal. The COA was more concerned with school department policy and directing both the town and school department as to how they should publicly discuss their budgets.
I believe Barrington residents deserve better than an 11.5 percent spending increase over the last two years. 

I can only assume this is why a resident made a motion to remove money from the school budget. Our leaders need to do a better job finding the balance between what the schools/town needs and what residents feel is an appropriate tax increase. It is time to start listening to the residents of our town. For many years the FTM was uneventful. The last two became contentious with motions to cut the budget. Is this the new “norm”? I certainly hope not.

While the last two school budgets were labeled “level service” it was disclosed by the superintendent at the financial town meeting that the school department has been able to implement new services and programs. They do this by being creative and resourceful with their budget.  

When the schools were threatened with a decrease of $500,000 in state aid last year the superintendent stated no drastic cuts to programs would be necessary to cover the loss of revenue. This despite a list of specific cuts that supposedly would have been needed if voters had cut a similar amount from the proposed budget at the FTM  a month earlier. 

Our school administration is very good at their job. This is evident by the many awards our school have achieved over the years. But they are not going to arbitrarily cut their own budget.

The school department is very good at setting priorities and being creative to achieve goals with limited resources when asked. The COA never asked. Taxpayers deserve better.

Lisa Daft
Barrington

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.