To the editor

As someone that enjoys following politics, I must have missed something here in Tiverton. To recap what I have gathered in just a short few weeks:

1. Town budget goes astray over period of time.

2. Taxes rise to the point of residents having enough.

3. The budget meeting is replaced, by vote, with a budget referendum.

4. In 2012 and 2013 the residents choose the town budget causing small raises in the property tax.

5. In 2014, 2015, and 2016 the residents choose a petitioner’s budget causing stabilization of the tax rate and a reduction in services.

The more people I talk to in town, from young parents to lifelong residents, the more I hear that the budget cutting has gone too far. With only a minimal interruption in services so far another budget similar to the previous three will certainly cut into the bone.

We can no longer stand by and do nothing as the library gets abused, the recreation budget gets sliced up, the department heads get disrespected, the schools and teachers get threatened with budget cuts, and the overall budget gets underfunded intentionally forcing department heads to “find the money.”

I think the point of the petitioner’s budget of 2014-2016 was made, am I wrong? This is no longer about cleaning up the books. It is no longer about exposing “hidden money” and “bloated accounts”. There appears to be a faction of folks that have weaseled their way onto the budget committee, that want to destroy this town. You want proof? When the 2014 and 2015 alternate budgets were presented to the voters, they had specific line items that were reduced. Transparency right?

When the 2016 alternate budget was presented, it was simply a matter of reducing the overall budget causing departments to have to scramble by reducing hours at the library, taking money from senior bus services, taking money from the pension fund. and using money designated for fire department medical physicals to plug holes, etc.

Have we all survived so far? Yes we have. However, the process is no longer transparent. When any resident of this town can submit an alternate budget with 50 signatures and without explaining the specific cuts so that the voters can be informed, it becomes suspicious. Don’t be fooled into falling for shady numbers. As I have said before, anyone can Google whatever numbers they want to “make their case”.

 David J Paull

Tiverton