Community Corner
Letter: Tiverton Budget Fact and Fantasy
Mike Burk, chairman of the Tiverton Democratic Town Committee, writes a letter to the editor.
To the Editor:
Tiverton voters, on May 15 please approve Budget Resolution 1 as recommended by the Tiverton Budget Committee.
Why? It is the only budget that was publicly developed, and is based on sound budgeting principles and sound revenue projections. Contrarily, the Nelson budget was privately developed, never vetted, and uses phantom revenue streams never before heard of!
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Some fantasies and facts:
FANTASY: The Budget Committee didn’t listen to town departments and the Town Council.
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FACT: The Budget Committee held weekly hearings and site visits, publically met with the town administrator three times and the department heads and invited the Town Council to speak to their concerns. The Town Council never did.
FANTASY: The Budget Committee rubber stamped the school district budget.
FACT: The Budget Committee reduced the School District’s original budget request by $670,000.
FANTASY: The Nelson Budget increases the tax levy by only 1.1 percent.
FACT: Through smoke and mirrors by raiding $200,000 from the town’s reserve fund, putting it below the charter required minimum of 3 percent of next year’s budget and creating two new phantom revenue streams for another $200,000!
FANTASY: The Budget Committee’s budget “de-funds” the landfill account.
FACT: Rather than tax us twice for the same thing, the Budget Committee determined that the Pay As You Throw program revenue is sufficient to cover the funds needed for this account for next year.
FANTASY: The Nelson Budget was thoroughly and publicly vetted.
FACT: Mr. Nelson had every opportunity at the to provide his methods for determining his budget. He refused to do so. He refused to tell us how he came up with his $200,000 in phantom revenue and why he was raiding the general fund. Why couldn’t he give us those details – I can only think it is because, like the children’s story, the emperor has no clothes!
Vote to approve Budget Resolution #1 on May 5. Thank you.
Mike Burk
Chairman, Tiverton Democratic Town Committee
