Groton Town Manager playing games with revenue.

WE ALL KNOW ABOUT OUR UNEXPECTED WINDFALL THIS YEAR. WHAT BOTHERS ME WITH THIS IS THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THE MANAGER BRINGS WITH THIS INFORMATION. IN THE PREVIOUS 2 FISCAL YEARS, WHEN ASKED BY RTM MEMBERS THE TOWN MANAGER WAS NEVER REALLY SURE AS TO THE REVENUE PICTURE AT THIS POINT IN THE BUDGET SEASON. AT THIS POINT LAST YEAR, THE MANAGER PROPOSED A BUDGET INCREASE OF $731K AND A TAX INCREASE OF 1.09 MILS. MOREOVER HE SAID OUR PROBLEM IS NOT EXPENDITURES IT’S REVENUE. BUT NOW FACED WITH BETTER REVENUES THE SPENDING STILL IS GOING UP $2.88 MILLION WITH A LEVEL TAX RATE. LAST YEAR THE MILL RATE WENT UP 2.5%. SO MY SUGGESTION IS TO FURTHER REDUCE SPENDING TO HELP THE MANAGER WITH HIS REVENUE PROBLEM.

WE RELY WAY TOO HEAVILY ON GOVERNMENT BASED REVENUES AS BOND RATING AGENCIES HAVE EXPRESSED. IT IS TIME TO SLOWLY START CHANGING HOW WE BUDGET. WE NEED A BALANCE OF SAVINGS, SPENDING REDUCTIONS AND BETTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO IF WE SPEND LESS THAN WE BUDGET AND NOT BUDGET MORE THAN WE SPEND, IT LEAVES US IN A BETTER POSITION AS A TOWN TO LOWER THE FINANCIAL BURDENS ON THE TAXPAYERS WHICH WILL STIMULATE REVENUES BASED ON VOLUME AND NOT THE TAX RATE. SO IF AND WHEN AIDE GOES DOWN (IT EVENTUALLY WILL) WE WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION.

Scott Aument/ GATE PAC Chairman