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CLT UPDATE
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Over-and-Override wins by ONE
vote
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[Ashburnham] Town Clerk Michelle Johnson
certified the override vote Thursday, two days after seven
people whose names were not listed on town voter rolls cast
provisional ballots.
Johnson "thoroughly researched" the seven
ballots, found that only two of them were valid and added
them to the total.
"Town Clerk Johnson determined that two of
the seven filed provisional applications were eligible to
vote and had not been on the voter list the day of the
election due to administrative error," Town Administrator
Heather Budrewicz wrote in a press release.
Official results indicate that 1,692
residents voted in Tuesday's Special Election, with 847
supporting the measure and 845 opposing it....
Considering the two-vote margin,
Budrewicz said she would not be surprised if someone
requests a recount. Residents have until Friday, Aug. 18 at
5 p.m. to request a recount, she said....
Ashburnham's property tax rate is $22.97 for
every $100,000 [sic - $1,000] of assessed value, nearly $5 higher than the
other town in the regional district, Westminster, which
passed its companion override in June.
The successful override vote in Ashburnham
is a stark reversal in fortune for Superintendent Gary
Mazzola and supporters on the School Committee.
Townspeople initially rejected a $629,542
override in an earlier vote on June 20.
Town officials scheduled Tuesday's ballot
vote after school administrators identified health insurance
and heat savings that reduced the override ask by more than
$150,000.
The Sentinel & Enterprise
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Ashburnham passes override to increase schools' funding on
second try
ASHBURNHAM —
The recount Monday for the Aug. 8 special election for a
$475,000 Proposition 2˝ override request for the
Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District got even
closer.
The question lost 1 vote in the recount,
but still passed by one ballot, 847-846....
The estimated impact of the override on the
fiscal 2018 tax rate is a $167 annual increase to the tax
bill for a home valued at $210,000, the average in town,
officials said.
The special election was the second held in
Ashburnham this summer requesting additional money for the
school district. An override request for nearly $630,000
failed at a special election held June 20 by 24 votes, with
663 voting in favor and 687 against.
The Telegram & Gazette
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
In recount, Ashburnham override squeaks through by 1 vote
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Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
With the State House corridors echoing silence, devoid of
legislators who are idle for the month of August on vacation
— or as they prefer to call it,
"in the district" — it's been
deathly quiet. I use the adjective "deathly" because
the last time our alleged "representatives" were "in the
district" for an extended vacation their first priority upon
return was grab their obscene pay raise, rammed through
within their first month back. It cost us taxpayers
$18 million and made the traditional August sales tax
holiday for we the peons "unaffordable" this year. I
wonder if there will be more surprises when our "public
servants" return refreshed and rested after a month of
taxpayer-funded leisure time to plot against us.
Meanwhile, another what we call an
over-and-override succeeded in Ashburnham yesterday
after a recount of an extremely close Proposition
2˝ override vote. The initial override attempt
in June was thwarted by a mere 24 votes, so of course the
tax-and-spend proponents quickly returned for another bite.
The second time around three months later they got what they
wanted — as usual
— but by only one vote.
One vote determined the difference between an
average $167/year property tax hike or not.
Ashburnham has a population of 6,081 (2010 census) which
includes 4,377 registered voters (as of Feb. 1, 2017).
Of those, 1,693 took the time to cast their votes for or
against the tax hike on themselves and their neighbors
— just over a third of
registered voters. The other 2,684 no-shows couldn't
be bothered.
I'll bet there are at least two voters among those
2,684 who didn't bother to vote who will be wondering why
their property tax bill increased by $167 when it arrives.
I wonder how many of those non-voters, who couldn't find
maybe an hour in their day to vote, earn over $167 an hour
elsewhere? Ashburnham must have a very wealthy
population — or just a very
large lazy and clueless one. The no-shows apparently
haven't heard that their "silence is consent."
These grind-down-the-electorate over-and-overrides is the
primary reason that CLT filed its bill for overrides to
appear on municipal ballots only during biennial statewide
elections, Senate Bill 1623 (S1623):
"An Act limiting Proposition 2˝
override elections and allowing an underride in all
communities." One bite, then the More Is Never Enough
(MINE) cabal would need to wait until the next statewide
election before coming back for a second bite.
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Chip Ford
Executive Director |
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The Sentinel & Enterprise
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Ashburnham passes override to increase schools'
funding on second try
By Amanda Burke
ASHBURNHAM — The
Proposition 2˝ override for Ash-West regional
schools passed at the ballot box by a razor thin
margin of just two votes, according to the town
clerk.
The news drew praise from Superintendent Gary
Mazzola.
"Don't ever think your vote doesn't count," he
said.
The result means the district will see a nearly
$30 million "prioritized" fiscal 2018 budget
that reduces class sizes, and slashes the number
of high school students forced into study hall
because of scheduling conflicts, said School
Committee Chair David Christianson Jr.
The narrow win, Christianson said, was an
"amazing" result. It means Mazzola will begin
interviewing candidates for several teaching
jobs that start work on the first day of school,
which is less than three weeks away.
"After a decade or so of slowly backsliding on
the budget front, having to eliminate positions
and programs, this is the first time in a long
time that we start making some steps forward,"
said Christianson.
Superintendent Mazzola commended the vote,
saying he looks forward to hiring 10 teachers
after last year's budget cuts resulted in
numerous reductions.
"This was very, very important," he said. "We're
going to continue find finances and efficiencies
and make sure we do the best we can with the
money the town gave us."
Town Clerk Michelle Johnson certified the
override vote Thursday, two days after seven
people whose names were not listed on town voter
rolls cast provisional ballots.
Johnson "thoroughly researched" the seven
ballots, found that only two of them were valid
and added them to the total.
"Town Clerk Johnson determined that two of the
seven filed provisional applications were
eligible to vote and had not been on the voter
list the day of the election due to
administrative error," Town Administrator
Heather Budrewicz wrote in a press release.
Official results indicate that 1,692 residents
voted in Tuesday's Special Election, with 847
supporting the measure and 845 opposing it.
An early count of the votes showed 846 in
support and 844 opposed. In other words, of the
two valid provisional votes did not alter the
margin by which the measure passed.
Considering the two-vote margin, Budrewicz said
she would not be surprised if someone requests a
recount. Residents have until Friday, Aug. 18 at
5 p.m. to request a recount, she said.
By permanently raising property taxes over the
2˝ percent annual threshold allowable without a
ballot vote, the override will generate $475,656
for Ash-West schools each year.
Ashburnham's property tax rate is $22.97 for
every $100,000 [sic -
$1,000]
of assessed value, nearly $5
higher than the other town in the regional
district, Westminster, which passed its
companion override in June.
The successful override vote in Ashburnham is a
stark reversal in fortune for Superintendent
Gary Mazzola and supporters on the School
Committee.
Townspeople initially rejected a $629,542
override in an earlier vote on June 20.
Town officials scheduled Tuesday's ballot vote
after school administrators identified health
insurance and heat savings that reduced the
override ask by more than $150,000.
The Telegram & Gazette
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
In recount, Ashburnham override squeaks through
by 1 vote
By Paula J. Owen
ASHBURNHAM — The
recount Monday for the Aug. 8 special election
for a $475,000 Proposition 2˝ override request
for the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School
District got even closer.
The question lost 1 vote in the recount, but
still passed by one ballot, 847-846.
The results initially certified by Town Clerk
Michelle Johnson had the override passing with a
final vote count of 847 in favor and 845
against.
However, Ashburnham homeowner Clare M. Deucher
filed a petition for a recount. Ms. Deucher said
she did not suspect foul play and just wanted to
ensure the election results were legitimate and
there were no questionable ballots.
According to a press release from Town
Administrator Heather M. Budrewicz, one ballot
was challenged Monday night.
The final tally sheet was returned to the Board
of Registrars around 8 p.m. and certified the
results were 847 “yes” votes, 846 “no” votes and
zero blanks.
“The Registrars certified that the Ballot
Question passed,” the release said. “The Board
of Registrar’s rulings are binding and any
appeal must be directed to the Superior Court.”
The estimated impact of the override on the
fiscal 2018 tax rate is a $167 annual increase
to the tax bill for a home valued at $210,000,
the average in town, officials said.
The special election was the second held in
Ashburnham this summer requesting additional
money for the school district. An override
request for nearly $630,000 failed at a special
election held June 20 by 24 votes, with 663
voting in favor and 687 against.
On June 20, Westminster voters approved a
$591,000 override for additional school money,
895-528. |
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NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this
material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Citizens for Limited Taxation ▪
PO Box 1147 ▪ Marblehead, MA 01945
▪ 508-915-3665
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