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| Doug Bates for Nottingham Budget Committee |
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| Town Article #26 | |
| Town Article #21 | |
| School Article #1 |
Warrant Article #26Shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 32:5-b, and implement a tax cap and whereby the governing body (or budget committee) shall not submit a recommended budget that increases the amount to be raised by local taxes, based on the prior fiscal year's actual amount of local taxes raised by more than 4%? Majority vote required. By citizen petition. This is one of those ideas that sound seductive at first, but upon reflection is unsound and dangerous. The adoption of this Warrant Article will force the Budget Committee into being required to make bad recommendations. For example, what if inflation is over 4%? Currently it is over 7% and is continuing to rise. It could get a lot worse. This would force the Budget Committee to recommend a budget that doesn't keep up with inflation, requiring cuts in Town services. What if the Town were to experience some unexpected major costs, perhaps due to damage from a hurricane or an accident? The Budget Committee would be unable to respond appropriately to the circumstances. This issue illustrates the stark differences between my position and that of my opponent, Robert Kelly, who signed the citizen petition to put this Warrant Article on the ballot. This Warrant Article, and the ideology behind it, represents exactly the type of approach to Town governance I oppose. It's the kind of misguided approach that got the Town sued a few years ago due to an attempt to save money by abolishing the Emergency Lanes. Strong Recommendation: Vote No. |