>>Valley Patriot>> |
Why I want to be
your Selectmen
During these tough fiscal times, we must concentrate on our core missions. We cannot cut positions that directly affect our children and the elderly while creating new assistants and giving out bonuses. There is a movement afoot to call for a Proposition 2 ½ Override. I am confident that an override will not pass until we eliminate wasteful spending. The voters are not going to infuse more money into a system that already contains waste. How could we have laid off teachers last year while handing out a $10,000 bonus to the school superintendent? How can we speak of deleting a police officer while we create the new information technology position? Some proponents of an override will argue that the Town operates on a shoestring budget; they fail to grasp the notion that this is the time to eliminate waste. Last year there was a failed override attempt for a new police station. While the current station is woefully inadequate, the citizens did not support the override effort because they knew it was filled with waste. Now is the time for our leaders to realize that we do not have unlimited resources. When you need buildings, vehicles and other resources, let us focus on what is practical and functional, not a wish list of largesse and extravagance. With the reality of an override passing slim, what is the solution to our fiscal woes? First, we must face the reality that there will be personnel cuts and reductions in services during these lean times. In the future, we can strive to create new business tax revenues and pressure our legislators to stop enacting unfunded mandates. The biggest problem we have now is the improper allocation of existing resources. We must prioritize our core missions. It would be nice to have more money available, but without a plan there will always be inadequacies in services provided. Department heads must budget from the bottom up, not the top down. The school department must determine how many teachers will be needed to teach our children, fund this cost, and then determine how much support staff can be hired. On the municipal side, Town Manager Mark Rees’ projected cuts include youth services and the Senior Center. These organizations run mainly through volunteers and donations. I would have liked to see the town manager lead by example. I would have loved Mark to set the example and say he would cut his Assistant Town Manager position, which was created on his watch. Instead, we shortchange our youth and elderly. It would be nice for a change to see our leaders and management share the pain. It would be wonderful to see some assistants, conferences and bonuses eliminated. Until this happens, those of you calling for an override will be rejected. Unless you can show the average citizen that the Town is working as a team and everyone is sharing the pain, you will not see an override pass. *Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com |
Please allow me to introduce
myself. My name is Dan Lanen and I am running for a seat
on the Board of Selectmen. My goal is effective
leadership through open and honest government. As an
eighteen-year police veteran with a child in the public
school system, I realize there is a fine balance between
public safety, town services, and school funding.