proposition 2 1/2

Ordinarily, it wouldn't make headlines. But the fact that the town of Bridgewater is expanding the hours of operation for its library and senior center during a recession makes headlines for several reasons.

First of all, while many in the state Legislature are saying "taxes" is a forbidden word during this election year, Bridgewater residents voted for a $2.8 million Proposition 2 1/2 override last month.

Times are tough everywhere, with deep cuts to funding for schools, public safety and public services in this year's and next year's budgets. Bridgewater Town officials responded by holding school funding steady and cutting everything else.

Bridgewater residents responded by voting in favor of an override 57 percent to 43 percent. According to local political activist John Palmieri, Bridgewater residents wanted to preserve their quality of life in the town:

“I heard people who had historically voted against the override say, ‘I have to do this to save my town,’" Palmieri said. "I hadn’t heard that before, so it was a different sentiment and it really translated into the vote.”

The override vote followed nine straight years of budget cuts that saw city services slashed and library hours cut to 14 a week. The library is now open 26 hours a week.

Town Manager Troy Clarkson says the town is now beginning the process of rebuilding its infrastructure.

“This is the beginning of building a better Bridgewater,” Clarkson said. “The community came together and saw the importance of moving forward to rebuild this community.”

In the wake of a narrowly-defeated Proposition 2 ½ override campaign, Ashland town officials are now convening a General Government/School Financial Operations Ad Hoc Committee, charged with evaluating the current fiscal operations of the town government’s finance department and the school department’s business office, according to the Boston Globe.

Seen as non-essential services, libraries across our state are suffering budget cuts in the form of slashed hours, or even closed doors.

Magnifying local budget cuts is the loss of state certification and its associated rights, such as inter-library loans, that can occur when towns cut funding to libraries disproportionately to the rest of town priorities.

So what?

Ruth Hathaway, manager of the Holbrook Library calls the library, "the ultimate community center for all ages.” Ruth, and countless Massachusetts citizens like her, are fighting to save these public structures that provide opportunities for education and community interaction.

Unless Holbrook voters support a Proposition 21/2 tax override on June 10, the doors of that community center will be locked.

Local newspapers all across the state are full of stories about Proposition 2½ .

Read as single-serving, town-by-town, vote-by-vote media blurbs, they don’t pack much of a punch.

Take a minute to browse through the ONE Massachusetts News Roundup, however, and a much larger story emerges. Residents in towns and cities across the Commonwealth are talking with their friends and neighbors about what kind of local government they want and how to pay for it.

As former Norton Selectman Bill Gouveia points out in his Attleborough Sun Chronicle column, elected officials in local cities and towns are facing tough challenges with costs of health care, heating oil, and transportation increasing faster than the revenues the towns rely on to cover their costs.

The challenge for local officials is to bring this point home, adjust their governmental systems accordingly, and survive the inevitable wrath of the voters. Pay more taxes or get less services - it's that simple.
It is no secret what the voters want. They want more services and lower taxes.
Someone needs to tell them that ain't happening.

“A corner has been turned” noted Kathy Haire, who led efforts on Randolph’s passage of a $5.48 million override for its school system.

Haire and others, including School Committee Chairman Larry Azer, fought against seemingly entrenched negative attitudes about local government. After four failed efforts, the committee was able to mobilize voters with aspirational messages that spoke to what Randolph residents want for their young people.

It seems voters got the message. Check out this quote from The Patriot Ledger:

Voters interviewed as they left the polls at Randolph High School said they were willing to sacrifice to improve town services and maintain their property values.

Oscar Santos brought his two young children to the polls as voted in favor of all three override questions.

“If we don’t invest in our schools, we can’t invest in anything. It’s about what you value,” he said.

ONE Massachusetts came to UMass Dartmouth at the invitation of Former Mayor Ed Lambert now Director of UMass Dartmouth Urban Intiative and Craig Dutra from the South Coast Community Foundation. Click on the "Read more" button to read the money quote from Elenor Gagnon.

“Somewhere along the line,” Lambert said, “we lost faith in the government. People are disconnected from local issues.”

Local officials, business leaders and agency heads were given suggestions to improve the public perception of government — like talking about goals instead of funding or taxes, connecting services and programs to how they can create a better quality of life and making sure taxpayers understand where their money goes.

It is important that citizens understand what is going on in their local government, he added. Many town issues, like Proposition 2 1/2 overrides, “require all of us to be more intelligent and knowledgeable,” Lambert said.

“A property tax cap has been implemented in 43 other states,” said Mrs. Rell, a Republican. “It can and will work here.”

So says Governor Rell in the New York Times.

And in the next paragraph so says .

House speaker, Representative James A. Amann, a Democrat, was doubtful. “I don’t know why she keeps dragging that old dog out,” he said.

What advice would you give to Connecticut property owners who care about living in a healthy community?