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On
the Ballot: Debt Exclusion Question
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What will the bonds fund?
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$300k for the High School Building Committee to
proceed with the state application
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$100k for Public Safety building repairs
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$140k for a Highway Dept. machine to clear sidewalks
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$190k for library repairs
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$25k for Park and Recreation
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$250k for High School repairs (minimum needed for
accreditation, accessibility for wheelchairs and
safety issues)
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$735k for Happy Hollow replacement windows
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$100k for misc. school repairs.
How will this affect property taxes?
If
approved, taxes would increase by about one-half of one
percent, or 0.54% for the average home. This is
$48 for the first year
declining gradually over 8 years (avg. assessed value
$686,432). This amount is NOT included in the
calculation for prop 2 ½ increases and would not impact
taxes until FY2009.
What is a Debt Exclusion Override?
It is a Yes/No question on the ballot to allow the town
to increase taxes to pay for borrowing money to pay for
specific items. This determines how we will fund the
items; the Town Meeting vote actually authorizes the
borrowing.
Why do we also need to vote on this at Annual Town
Meeting (ATM)?
At ATM, we vote to authorize and allocate the money
raised through the debt exclusion. Most of the capital
expenses will be included in the general town budget
article which requires a 2/3 majority. There will be a
separate article to approve the High School request
which will require a 2/3 majority. |
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What's the long-term plan ?
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The Finance Committee has developed a long range plan to
maintain an appropriate level of services without annual
operating overrides for the next 3 years.
The Board of Selectmen supports this plan.
The plan includes 7 areas that need to be addressed.
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Modify our health care programs
Wayland is part of a 16 town consortium to provide health
care. Costs may be rationalized if alternatives are found,
and the state lifts its mandate that plans can only be
changed during contract negotiations.
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Adopt Medicare coverage for retirees
An article will be voted on at Town Meeting to provide for
our retirees to be covered by a combination of Medicare and
a bridge plan. This will be comparable coverage to their
current plan.
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Manage salary increases
2007 is the 3rd and final year of the current contract for
all the town unions. Contracts will be renegotiated in 2007
to go into affect for 2008-2010.
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Expand our commercial tax base
96% of Wayland’s tax levy comes from residential taxes.
• Of 14 peer communities, Wayland has the 3rd lowest level
of commercial real estate tax.
• Within these communities, there is a direct correlation
between the increasing commercial tax base and lower
residential tax rates.
• Town Center is a unique opportunity to increase our
commercial tax base.
Preliminary numbers from the Finance Committee suggest that
the town will take in between $550,000 and $632,000 per year
over the current vacant building.
A 40B housing project (which is the alternative) compared to
the current site will result in anywhere from a net loss of
$52,000 to an increase of $113,000.
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Rationalize town operations
Look at how we can combine services or make them more
efficient. An example is payroll.
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Re-think school structure relative to enrollment
• there are indications that elementary enrollment MAY be
declining which could lead to a future restructuring of the
schools.
• For example, Loker was closed for 10 years when enrollment
was low from the early ‘80s until 1992.
• But each time Loker closed and opened, it took TWO years
to plan.
• Enrollment is still a big unknown given the uncertainty of
Town Center. The developer has applied for a 40B application
for a 200 unit housing complex. If this goes through, school
and other services will be strained.
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Influence the state to increase aid
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Who's looking out for our tax dollars?
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Wayland is managed in a fiscally prudent manner.
Fact: Wayland has a AAA bond rating from Moody’s
...based on our prudent fiscal management – only 8 other
municipalities in Massachusetts currently have this ranking.
We’ve been rated AAA since 1993.
Fact: Standard & Poor’s identified Wayland’s school
district as one of only 29 “outperformers” in Massachusetts.
A significantly higher percent of our students score
proficient or above on state reading and math tests than in
other districts with similar levels of poverty. We exceed
statistical expectations because our schools deliver
efficiently for the money spent.
Note: Standard & Poors is the world's foremost provider of
independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation,
investment research, data, and valuations.
Fact: Wayland’s costs and tax increases are on par with
the average of 14 peer towns.
And only 6 of the peer towns’ school districts are Standard
& Poor’s outperformers. See below for details on peer group.
Fact: The Finance Committee and all Town departments
identified and enacted $1.7 million in savings to go into
effect next year.
The original shortfall was $3.8 million. With these
savings, the override amount recommended by the Board of
Selectmen and Finance Committee is $2.1 million. Additional
cuts were examined but deemed to cut into core services too
drastically.
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More Frequently Asked Questions:
What
has happened with State Aid?
Since 2002, the
Commonwealth has made significant cuts in aid to local cities and towns.
Cities and towns across the state are facing a financial crunch caused by
these reductions along with increases in costs like health care and
utilities. During this time, towns across Massachusetts saw a drop of more
than 15% in funding for K-12 education alone, with deep cuts in other areas
as well. For Wayland, this has meant a loss of about $3 million in state aid
since 2002. At the same time, Massachusetts state taxes are well below the
national average as a percent of income - we rank 38th out of 50
states. In fact, according to the latest US census figures, Massachusetts
state taxes have gone down 2.4% in the last five years. In addition, revenues for the Commonwealth are up more than 9% this
year over last year. If Wayland is to avoid future overrides, part of the
answer will be to work for increased state aid and greater flexibility in
controlling state-mandated costs.
Read more.
Why do you have to vote
at the polls and at Town Meeting?
State law requires that all local property tax increases over 2½% be voted
as a ballot question. The vote allows the town to exceed the state
imposed debt limit imposed by Proposition 2½. However, budget money can only
be allocated by a vote at Town Meeting. A simple majority at Town Meeting is
required to pass the operational budget. A two-thirds majority is required
to pass the capital budget, because it includes borrowing. Should any of
these votes fail, the money will not be allocated and the cuts will be
imposed. So please vote YES at the polls and at Town Meeting.
How do Wayland property
taxes compare to other towns?
Wayland’s property taxes
compare favorably to comparable towns although they are higher than the state
average. The towns in the chart below share similar traits, including
commuter access, high residential property values, high percent of tax base
in residential housing, and high performing school systems. Note
that most of these towns have significantly higher commercial tax bases than
Wayland. Several of these towns are also facing overrides in 2007.
From a recent Globe
article and looking at similar towns, see how Wayland ranks in average
property taxes:
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Town |
Average 2006
Property Tax |
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Weston |
12,865 |
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Sherborn |
10,885 |
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Lincoln |
10,498 |
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Dover |
10,004 |
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Carlisle |
9,588 |
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Concord |
9,271 |
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Sudbury |
8,956 |
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Wayland |
8,693 |
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Wellesley |
8,213 |
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Acton |
7,724 |
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Newton |
7,373 |
Are there more
people living in Wayland?
Since 1990, there has
been an 11% increase in population, and school enrollment has grown by 40%
to more than 2,900 students. When people say that population has remained
the same, they are referring way back to the 1970s during the baby boom.
Won’t increased taxes
put pressure on seniors and families with modest income?
Yes it does, and this is
one of the most difficult things about an override. Because the impact is
real, Wayland offers a
number of programs for tax assistance, even going so far as to be one of
the only towns in the Commonwealth that matches the circuit-breaker tax
relief program. Seniors who qualify for this program have been unaffected by
the property tax increases in Wayland since 2001. These programs are under-subscribed, and increased outreach
should improve participation and bring more relief to more citizens.
Unfortunately, these programs are never generous enough to help all involved. Wayland has a Tax Relief Taskforce seeking ways to enhance
our existing tax programs.
The alternative of not
providing needed funds for town services and schools is equally difficult.
Who wants to gamble with a delayed response for emergency services? Who
wants schools providing less to the students who need it the most? Who wants
to find the library closed on Sundays and on summer weekends? Who wants to
wait longer for building permits? Who wants reduced recycling options? These
are difficult choices. The override is not funding luxuries; it is merely
intended to maintain services without further, significant cuts.
What Can I Do To Save
Our Services?
Vote “Yes” at the polls on Tuesday, April 24
(7 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Vote “Yes” at Town Meeting on Sunday, April 29 at 1:00 p.m. to approve the
budget.
Volunteer to help Save Our Services by emailing
info@soswayland.org
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