In Our Opinion: Closing in on the budget
Tuesday's passage of the $2 million tax override measure in Northampton was surprising for the size of the margin of victory.
Five years ago a $1.7 million override failed by eight votes with 44 percent of the registered voters turning out. Tuesday, the measure passed by a 60 percent margin - 5,573 to 3,762 - with a turnout of 48.6 percent, solid for a special election.
It is the fourth general override to be put before Northampton voters since Proposition 2½ and the first to be approved here in 20 years. That it came during a down economy, when many businesses and individuals are having to tighten their belts and more, says a lot about the strength of the message and the Vote Yes organization.
While the margin is clear and the override passage avoids the most drastic cuts and budget scenarios, there's more work to be done to get the city on solid financial footing.
Tuesday a majority of taxpayers agreed to pay more taxes; today city leaders must honor that commitment and press for more savings to close the budget gap.
In our opinion, supporters backed the override to keep services and jobs, not give pay raises. Five of the seven bargaining units, representing 215 municipal employees, have agreed to a wage freeze. Non-union workers are getting no raises. The police union did not agree to a wage freeze, but officers will take a pay cut with the loss of education bonuses. That leaves one municipal union (police sergeants), and the seven unions representing employees in the two city school districts. Some are in negotiations, and the city should keep pressure on all for concessions in the coming year.
One disappointment in the budget process was the failure of the Northampton School Committee to act decisively on the school closing question. The committee had the ball and punted. Passage of the override does not mitigate the need to address school costs by looking at how classroom space could be used more effectively. The decision should be made soon so that if a school is to be closed, planning can begin now.
The latest landfill costs are worrisome. Even override supporters raised questions during the campaign about the city's future plans for the landfill, which is now posing financial risks, along with the standard environmental challenges involved with disposing of trash.
City leaders should use the final hours before the state budget is settled to lobby local legislators hard for the right to approve local option taxes, manage retirement programs, and receive a bigger share of the pie. Local aid - our tax dollars - comes back into our communities and helps deliver services, maintain roads and support education. That is the part of the state budget that must be maintained.
On the city's Web site dozens of residents raised questions and offered suggestions for ways to save money and improve efficiencies. Not all will work, but creative, challenging ideas are presented. All city councilors and department managers should read the suggestions and then make their own list of questions to ask and cost-saving ideas to explore.
Comments
It is a sad day for many
It was hard enough to stay afloat in today's economy, now with the passage of this override for some it is a devasting blow. While others like Schwart and Richards are who are quoted as saying that "the override was a last resort to save city services and that no one wants to pay higher property taxes, while Richards pointed out that there is assistance for many of the city's poorest homeowners", they both need a reality check. First off, "not wanting" to pay higher taxes vs. "being unable" to pay higher taxes are completely different, most of the 3,762 who voted against the override do not have the income to pay for the tax increase, and will now be sacrificing a need perhaps food, or prescription to pay for this. Secondly, you do not have to be the poorest of residents, to be be broke, and in most of these cases will not meet the criteria to get assistance. Lastly, a vote 5,573 in favor to 3,762 is not a landslide, 43% voted no.
So to the supporters of the override, to include the Mayor, what will happen next year when there is not enough money and we run into the same mess? Will you continue to try to cover the problem using tax payers money, or will you fix the problem, which may require an overhaul of "politics" as usual in Northampton, and vote in a new Mayor who is a mayor to all residents of Northampton. I would bet the Mayor looks for a raise in a couple of years or sooner while the residents are permently stuck with this tax increase.
It is shameful to put further hardships on people, just because the mayor did not do her job.
To the Editor
First you endorse the override and then you post concerns? Shouldn't all these matters have been fully considered and resolved BEFORE the vote?
The community did well, in spite of the mayor
The mayor has shown no leadership and was hesitant to bring it. She used it as an opportunity to create an us vs. them in the city. I am glad the city residents spoke in spite of the mayor.
The Mayor Showed Great Leadership
I disagree with this comment. I have been very impressed with the mayor throughout this campaign. She was in an incredibly difficult position, and she handled it as well as could be.
The mayor had to take the initial, extremely risky step of proposing putting the measure on the ballot, which the city council then needed to approve. Without that move, we could not have had an override.
She also listened intently and sympathetically to people on all sides of the issue. I attended several events and was impressed with the mayor's ability to listen and respect.
Finally, the mayor had the very difficult task of negotiating union concessions. Her approach, while not particularly popular, was politically bold - it showed that she put the city before her job. I was impressed.
Thank you Northampton!
Taxpayers must now tighten their belts even a little more, and those we depend on to spend our tax dollars wisely must work even harder to do so in these challenging times. But today this community has done the right thing for our city and especially for our children. I'm proud to be part of Northampton!