AG: Council’s late budget vote violated OMA

“Every turn we make he’s trying to undermine the council” -N.S. Town Council President John Beauregard

The Council President seems to be in total denial that the actions of the #Council were deemed to be “unlawful” by the state Attorney General.

I believe his comment illustrates the tactics being used by current leadership to deflect attention from their wrongful actions by questioning the motives or integrity of those who challenge their actions. If Council President Beauregard believes it was appropriate to take an unlawful action in order to impose an unnecessary tax on residents, and also blatantly violate the budget process spelled out in the Town Charter, then I freely admit I will continue trying to “undermine the council”.

With roughly $3.5 million available in the Town’s unassigned fund balance (in simple terms; piggy bank) and nearly $2 million in the School Departments fund balance (in simple terms: piggy bank) and $435,000 in an un-designated contingency fund (in simple terms: piggy bank) in the Town’s current operating budget, there was absolutely no need for the Town Council to support the recommendation of Administrator Ezovski and increase our taxes by another $100,000. Even the inclusion of the $435,000 un-designated contingency fund was opposed by the town Budget Committee, chaired by Kim Alves. Budget Committee members resigned in protest after adoption of the budget. Do the math; a total of roughly $5.9 million dollars was available if they actually needed another $100,000 at some point in the year. There was no legitimate need to impose an additional tax, particularly after the budget had been adopted.

I question Mr. Beauregard’s assertion that sending out corrected 4th quarter tax bills would cost $11,000. I understand the town realized very significant savings this year by processing the bills internally.

Regardless of the cost of sending out new bills, the supplemental tax levied on July 17th was in violation of the Town Charter which states: “Final adoption of the budget shall be voted no later than June 30, or as otherwise extended by state law.” This additional tax has ramifications of inflating our tax bills every year going forward. We aren’t talking about a one-time hit. I also think our town’s senior citizens who are living primarily on social security income might have a better use for their over payment, rather than having the Town put it in the “money we really didn’t need piggy bank”.

After the holidays, I’ll be explaining why they chose to needlessly over-tax residents and it had nothing to do with fear of seeing the budget destroyed or a desire to strengthen the town’s balance sheets which were cited as the reasons at the time of the vote. In the meantime, please read the email sent to the Town Council by myself and Mr. Rapko and I on December 16th (two days after receiving the Attorney General’s ruling).