Together for the Future of Acton – Again
Maintaining the Public Trust
Peter Ashton's Beacon Article, April 2nd |
Finance Committee Press Release
Correcting Seward Campaign Claims
Annual Town Meeting begins on April 6. Acton’s elected and appointed leaders have worked together to present you with budgets that provide essential services and are respectful of the economic times which we face. We believe this strategy of prudent and cautious fiscal management will lead us through these difficult economic times.
The Budgetary Plan for Next Year
The Board of Selectmen and the School Committees have developed budgets that will preserve services while minimizing the tax burden.
· The average increase across all budgets for the coming year is 2.7%.
o Taxes increase on average slightly less than 2½ percent each year over the next three years.
o Reserves are cautiously used to smooth fluctuations in revenues. This will leave the town with slightly more than $3 million in reserves by the end of FY12.
o These budgets are both responsible and responsive because they attempt to maintain services while recognizing the extremely difficult economic times we face.
· Acton municipal budget increases 2.7% from last year. This budget maintains critical services, avoids layoffs, and protects services for the most vulnerable citizens. Reflecting the difficult economic times, the municipal budget includes no cost of living increases for employees and has reduced two positions. Capital items in the budget are down almost 50% from last year, and the town is using innovative alternative revenue source to fund many key items.
- The APS budget is up 3.1% from last year, and Acton’s share of the ABRSD budget is up only 2.5% from last year. School services continue at approximately the same level, and the budgets have eliminated 4.22 FTEs. Salary increases for non-union staff members have been reduced, and numerous categories of necessary items (such as supplies and materials) have been contained. A capital list that included additional technology purchases and roofs for three school buildings has been pared down to only one roof project (Douglas School); this project has been submitted for reimbursement by the state.
A group of citizens, calling themselves the Acton Voters Group (AVG), is proposing a different budget plan, which is remarkably similar but more extreme than the plan they brought to a Special Town Meeting last October, which was voted down by the voters at that meeting.
- AVG intends to propose “zero increase” budgets at Town Meeting.
- If approved, there would be no increase in next year’s property tax and possibly a decrease.
· A “zero increase” budget is not workable without cuts in services, layoffs, and loss of valuable teachers and staff.
o Their proposal double-counts cost-savings already incorporated in the voted budgets
o Reducing budgets any further would require cuts in services and personnel for both the town and school budgets.
As a community we have agreed upon a level of services that we would like to have. In these difficult times, the services provided are modest and cost-effective. The budgets put forward by our experienced town leaders support the most vulnerable citizens through a myriad of services provided by the schools, nursing programs, town Social Worker, Veterans, Council on Aging, Senior Tax Relief, and library services. By most any reasonable measure, we are efficient in providing services to our residents. Acton spends less on education per pupil and on municipal services per capita than comparable towns:
Acton Per Pupil Spending on Education vs. Comparable Towns
Acton Per Capita Spending on Municipal Services vs. Comparable Towns
Our leadership has listened and worked hard to provide the level of services that you, the taxpayer, have repeatedly supported. The value of this effort is manifested not only in our outstanding schools and municipal services, but in our home values which have largely remained intact over the last two years. Average single family home values have dropped less than 5% in last two years. Let’s keep what we’ve got and maintain the public trust!
Come to Town Meeting Beginning April 6th and Support Our Town, Our Schools, and Our Leaders