Town of Braintree

You've Got It...

your's is one way to reason an override; mine is another. I understand that monies derived from an override will be used for specific purposes and not for raises. What I am saying is that by lumping expenses into an override, and not taking these expenses from the general budget, that we in fact are freeing up monies to be used for new personnel and additional raises. I think we spend too much in those areas already. Proponents of an override are always asking where the 'extra funds' are but, I'm not saying there are extra funds but misused funds. I feel 80% of our budget is too much to allot to salaries and benefits in a town our size. Everytime we prioritize expenses under a special tax we allow our base taxes to be used to gorge this problem. I think l5 student classrooms would be great, new roads ideal, a 90 member police dept. and a 90 member fire dept. peachy, a revamped town hall impressive, etc.,etc.; but, I would like to see that some effort has been made in revamping our departmental structures first, I would like to see the demise of yearly 6% pay raises in fiscally difficult times first, before I sign on to new taxes. We cannot seem to negotiate any means that saves us a dollar we only know how to ask for new dollars. I so not refute anything you posted except the mind set supporting the tax; I believe it to mirror a 'tax and spend' ideology. And I think it fair to say that cannot be refuted for all you need do is look to the school committee giving raises without sufficient funds to back them, or the BOS calling for new support personnel without monies to pay them. For our leaders to act in this manner is offensive to me, they have broken the public trust and do not deserve to be seated. When you reach your limit at home where do you go for more money? There has to be a limit doesn't there? 2 1/2 is our limit, make it work first, then approach me for a loan, which all a debt exclusion really is. So I thank you for taking the time to write an explanation to/for me, but at this time I will not propagate the current status, I will be voting NO.

By Nay to Override

Pay Raises ad nauseum

If all Braintree's debt is excluded from the town's budget will the town's budget be reduced by same ?

No. The budget will be increased by the annual 2 1/2 increase plus new growth to fund the pay raises.

So in effect,
YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PAY RAISES.

Town managers, School Committee, picketing teachers and BOS got us into this mess, it will be painful getting us out of it.

If these picketing school teachers, managers and elected officials want and dole out more and more, then they will have to thin their ranks to pay for it all.

The easy way out is to ask its citizens for more and more and more and more and more and more and more ad nauseum.

Is there a pattern here ?

By NO Raises / LayOff People

The impact of school spending

Given the lack of brainpower and any creative thoughts of the ''founding'' members of the Citizens for Limited Taxation, I wonder whether it's youngest ''leader'' was a product of the Braintree schools.

If so, he either was lost in the process, or the educational spending in Town was a waste.

If not, someone blew a whole bunch of money on private schools.

We know he doesn't pay real estate taxes, what is his educational background.


By RepVoter

No It's you

We have had to pay to have our tax removed for many years. That fee was built into the town budget. Now we have to pay our taxes and then pay an additional $150 to have our trash taken away. What part of that sentence do you not understand? I can not deduct a trash fee from my income tax, but property taxes I can. I would rather increase my property taxes and not pay a trash fee. It would then be part of the budget again, instead of a separate fee that not everyone pays. Everyone drives on these roads, they are a mess and need to be addressed. There used to be a time when Braintree had the best roads on the south shore. But that was way before my time in this town. You are the donkey if you do not understand the simple benefits of an over-ride as opposed to a trash fee. Trash fee has always been part of the budget, now it's not.