I thought the headline should have read more like: Councilor Nelson had few answers about his budget petition.

It was fantastic when Jeff Caron, co chair of the charter review commission that crafted the FTR, stood up and let us all know that Nelson wasn't required to defend his budget petition according to the FTR rules. Thanks Jeff for pointing out a big flaw in the process you crafted.

Transparency!

There are more nuggets to share from last night, but I'll save them for later in the blog.

What is fantastic Tom is the hidden slush fund the School Committee doesn't talk about. But I'll save the fact for later in the blog.

why are false names in here?

It is very telling that Mr. Nelson could not provide any answers regarding what should be cut from the School Department's budget. Mr. Nelson's proposal is essentially telling the School Committee to cut their budget by $578,000 but he refused to say what should be cut! If Mr. Nelson can't justify his cut to the School Department's budget then maybe he should not have made it as part of his budget proposal!

Rather than answering questions substantively, Nelson used a politician's tactic. He had a set of prepared responses and he stayed on message. We deserve more and better. The lines between Nelson's role as a councilor and as head of the TCC have become very blurred. It's impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends. Who does he represent when he sits at a council meeting, the TCC of the town? I think reasonable people know the answer to that question. Nelson's arrogance, condescension, and unwillingness to engage in dialog with the people he supposedly represents is very troubling. Maybe he thinks he's got this in the bag. Let's not allow that to happen.

To Mr. Roderick and Mr. Pelletier: Thank you for going public with your stand on this issue. I hope that you follow through on your statements with lettesr to the press.

@ Just Another Taxpayer. Buried in the 6/30/11 audit on page 15, you will find that the School Board managed to divert from a taxpayer approved budget, and squirrel away, $367,165 to be used for the sewage treatment plant, something it was not appropriated for. You will also see $225,692 in unrestricted funds on page 15, (some of which may have already been spent). So we are up to $592,857 that the School Board squirreled away. Now add the $243,000 that the council voted to return to the School Department and you now have a nest egg of $835,857. Add any excess money in this year's budget which the School Department is probably now planning to dump into this slush fund and you can see how the current slush 0f $835,857 can easily exceed a million. Even if you reserve the $367,000 for the treatment plant there is still a substantial unused, hidden excess that should be used to supplement the $400,000 increase over last year in Mr. Nelson's petition. Since an effort is underway at this FTR to control carryover by the Municipal side, fiscal responsibility demands the same for the School side. If Mr. Nelson's petition, passes the school board can use up their slush fund, and stop taxing us for appropriations they are not using, and stop taking money away from other school programs to build up their slush fund. If they need contingency money, let them come out, above board, and put an amount in their budget so we have transparency. Even then, they always find money!!!

'Nelson's arrogance, condescension, and unwillingness to engage in dialog with the people he supposedly represents is very troubling. Maybe he thinks he's got this in the bag."

Dad, being present that is absolutely what they think. Why should they answer any questions? Just read it on-line. I couldn't believe it. I am sure they believe that residents will simply follow them based on slick cards.

Mr. Lambert is ready to destroy the whole town over $168K. The town administrator was an embarrassment. Mr. Coulter just can't get over that he lost in court against the schools.
The arrogance on display was beyond the pale.

Jane/Janet/Nancy, how is it okay for the Town Council to have "carry forwards" and the School Department can't run a surplus? You TCC followers are a bunch of liars and hypocrites.

Nancy/Janet/Jane, if the School Department was hiding money, why didn't Mr. Nelson or Mr. Coulter bring the matter up at last night's meeting?

The first sentence in my previous post should read, "Jane/Janet/Nancy,it is obvious that you are confused. It is my understanding that the $367,165 is in the audit because the auditor required that these funds which were illegally taken from the schools be listed in the audit."

To Councilmen Pelletier and Roderick, thank you for reminding residents that the Town Council has never endorsed Mr. Nelson's budget proposal and that he is lying when he refers to his budget proposal as the "Town Council's Budget" when it fact it is his and his alone.

"You can take the union thug out of the FTM, (note: you get rid of the FTM) but you can't take the FTM out of the union thug."

FTM Union thuggery showed up again last night at the hearing--but the formerly successful union mob intimidation tactics didn't work against Mr. Nelson--whose bio indicated he's a former U.S. Marine: I expect you've seen much worse in your day--thanks for your courtesy and calmness under the unrelenting barrage of rudeness, vulgarity and generally discourteous from the pro union crowd: congratulation and well done!
The atmosphere of rudeness was like an old Louise Durfee-run town council meeting!
If anyone around town is undecided about how to vote in the FTR, I advise you to look on channel 18 meeting rerun and see how Ms. Crist, Mr. Bergundy, Mr Cotta, Mr Burke, "Big Bill" Rearick and Ms Black deported themselves: backed up by a howling union mob they were mean, nasty, hateful and emotional...if there was any doubt how to vote next Saturday, this kind of conduct should make your choice easy. These are the yahoos running your school board and educating your children: does that encourage you?
Whom to believe?
This is a school board which has gotten a yearly increase of over $900,000 a year since 2001 (over $10 Million!), absolutely correct if you include the $2 million plus they got in stimulus bucks in 2009 that they don't want to tell anyone about.
Compare-decide.
Come out and vote for a 1.1 percent tax increase 12 May.

FF

@ Tom. Call it what you want. Just make sure you use it to supplement the 400,000 increase in funding the voters will approve on May 15. BTW, if you have leftover, unused taxpayer money, common decency says the school board should return it to the general fund rather than salt it away. That is what is being done to the Municipal side at this FTR. After all, "we are one zip code"

White Rabbit: Your Majesty, members of the jury, loyal subjects... and the King... the prisoner at the bar stands accused of enticing Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, into a game of croquet, thereby and with malice of forethought, molesting, tormenting, and otherwise annoying our beloved...
Queen of Hearts: Never mind all that! Get to the part where I lose my temper.
White Rabbit: ...thereby causing the Queen to lose her temper.

I think FF and Jane have become lost down the rabbit hole.

My anger with previous school committees stems from the lack of maintenance and repairs. In years past the surpluses were used to fund items other than repairs . They used it to fund 3% annual pay increases for decades . The result 34 million in bonds. This cant happen anymore. 11% tax increases caused by mismanagement, greed ,and incompetence.
IC FAT

Doc it wasn't as bad as the FTM . They didn't have enough people for the wave Ha Ha . All in all it was a good hearing . I think people have enough information to make an informed decision. That was the point any way.

Great, the whole cast of TCC misfits is here Robbie (Fred), Nancy (Jane) and now "11%" Joe (that's inflation for you, it used to be 22%)! One of you should have cast poor Joanie a life preserver last night. Reading Robbie's questions appeared to be a bit to much for her to handle. All we're missing is Lord Nelson himself! Based on the two year old's chicken scratching on his budget proposal it appears that the resources of the mighty TCC are dwindling after a year and a half of missteps, gaffes and embarrassments. Many of their supporters are no longer with them, and others have found other comfort with new friends. Robbie, do you still think that non-residents can hold elected office in town and that you didn't lose your case at the supreme court?

BD I saw a very different meeting with union thugs and their supporters. The same gang of people who have taxed and spent our town to death for years crying with speach after speach that the sky is falling. It appears that these folks are lost without the FTM to mistreat and berate residents. There will be a vote and the voters will have the say in this once and for all. Why was Mr. Burke and Ms. Arruda so hostile?