As a Melrosian who cares about our community, I find the whole override presentation very troubling. It is business as usual for the lifer pols in this town, those who refuse to hold our school administration and school committee accountable for grievous misconduct, those who refuse to hold city officials accountable for egregious mismanagement and actual lies when it comes to the out-of-control water/sewer rates.
Less than a year ago these same pols claimed that the city could not afford a special election for the mayoral position, even though it meant that Melrose would have a mayor for two years who was not chosen by the voters for this role. Less than two years ago the pols and appointed city officials rallied around a corrupt school administration in their demands for many more millions for modular classrooms, claiming that the city could not afford to reopen the Beebe or Ripley schools for the city's own school population, while now they are clamoring to do exactly that.
The investment in those modular classrooms was as foolish as the construction of that "Learning Commons" boondoogle, which is still a barn of wasted space and wasted resources on a stupidly envisioned project that only pretends to improve student outcomes (by putting students in front of more screens instead of teachers, with even fewer books, in a grey wasted space, while basics like decent restrooms and locker rooms remain the disgrace they've been for decades in the same building). Similarly the many millions that went to science classrooms that were obsolete even before they were constructed (and, oops, they "forgot" to put drains in those floors, causing floods and damage when a teacher accidentally set off the sprinklers). The "science kits" that then BOA-prez Brodeur and SC and BOA insisted were necessary as a "science curriculum" (total purposeful misrepresentation/lie) that cost first $50,000 and then an additional $100,000 (oops, discovered that only one subject for one classroom was covered for the initial amount, meaning no equity among schools or classrooms) are sitting on school shelves collecting dust (FYI, many if not most elementary classes in Melrose get zero to almost zero in science instruction now). And it just goes on from there, with the never-ending elementary "specialists" hired to teach the poorly trained and barely qualified teachers or the endless ill-conceived and immediately obsolete major purchases of hardware and software.
Millions upon millions keep getting shunted towards building projects for the schools ("essential" new windows at Hoover, along with expensive office furniture/window treatments because the perky, stylish now-former principal didn't like the drab facilities and was the super's favorite pet, NOT because they were essential). Meanwhile the Police and Fire department buildings do not meet even the most basic standards, and should be condemned!
Now the pols are lining up the naive and well-meaning parents and grandparents to come shill for them for the biggest boondoggle of all, an override proposal by an unelected mayor who is a fanatical supporter of the superintendent and chair of the school committee, a proposal that will give a huge influx of unaccountable dollar to a proven, documented failed school administration, and at the expense of the rest of the city's very real needs. What the public does not know is that the school administration is expecting the voters to be dumb and approve this boondoogle, and then it fully intends to come back shamelessly in another year or two again for more end-runs around Prop 2.5.
Hopefully Melrose citizens are smarter than the cynical pols and school administration believe them to be when it comes to voting for this mess, even though the citizens continue to give a free pass to any accountability of its elected and paid officials. There should not be one new dollar allotted to the school system or city until a full forensic audit gets to the bottom of the many areas of concern--the school legal liabilities (special education and other areas of misconduct where the city has been found to be in violation), the city insurance expenditures (high due to many settlements?), the Enterprise Funds misuse, the mischaracterizations of city expenditures (it's called fraud) in many areas, especially water and sewer line items, for starters.
Yes, agree on all counts!
Forensic audit! (and by a reputable, non-connected firm, not the fake things that the city officials trot out every year to "prove" DellaRusso's ridiculous claims).
And these city officials still owe many explanations about the deep scandals that have gotten buried under that huge rug on Main Street. Just exactly who were the co-conspirators of the recent cemetery commissioner (who was "coincidentally" the mayor's godfather and chief of staff for more than a decade)???? Why should Melrose citizens trust any single financial document produced by this city administration when it is patently obvious that there was and is corruption and rank incompetence on a large scale that was going on for many years and totally connected directly to the top????
The learning common is for the kids to have breakfast so you can't take that away.
"The learning common is for the kids to have breakfast so you can't take that away."
What kind of nonsensical statement is that? Either this was from a troll or from someone very ignorant!
The formerly named MHS Library is not a cafeteria, nor should it be a place for eating, period.
The poster was obviously being facetious. The point was that the so-called learning commons was a total waste of money.
I am one of the kids that eat in the morning with my DD and friends.
I asked 2 of my kids recently who have both had chemistry in the new science labs of they’ve ever used a bunson burner and neither of them have. They didn’t even know what one was. How do you do chemistry without a bunson burner?
Badly.
Hey Mayor and uninformed lemmings, I'd call spending 30K or whatever additional amount it will be for a special election a "Spending Problem" so no more lies about -- we don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem. Such a scam this override!!!
AGREED! They rush it through and push it to vote when people still had questions and wanted information.. Nothing but greed and liars..
One can only hope that the same percentage of people who voted no last time will do so again. One can only hope that the majority of people are finally now beginning to realize that what some on this site have been saying for years is accurate. One can only hope that by again defeating yet another attempt to scam the taxpayers, it will finally become clear to these despicable people that their time is over.
Defeating this latest attempt, though, is still not enough. These people have to go.
GI best buddy no call no show MBMM put a stop to it at Melrose tv.
I hope there is because a "no Campaign" is very much needed. After watching the Monday night meeting
there can be no doubt. When Alderman Medeiros asked viable questions about setting the tax rate
the questions were not answered because the so called MADAM CHAIRMAN was not going to let that
happen.
"she was rightfully shut down for grandstanding.
The real problem comes down to this... Monica knew it was against the rules, she probably also figured people like you didn't. So, she set up a situation in which she gets shut down to look like a martyr rather than put forth a discussion item on the agenda that will be available to the public to set a date for the discussion. "
You are so wrong and obviously part of the Obfuscation Brigade of Melrose. You are exactly the reason why this local government should never be trusted. People like you work actively to keep the truth from the public and will justify, rationalize every which way that those who question our local authorities are somehow unpatriotic, not "true Melrosians."
Monica Medeiros is now the one and only elected official who actually answers to the public who elected her and cares about the Truth, not the Alternate Facts as put out by deceitful charlatons like PDR and RvC.
No, she was not breaking rules! She was asking for information that she and we, the Public, are entitled to!
You and those whom you are protecting are the disgrace and should be shut down, not Alderwoman Medeiros!
The city is in debt. The schools are at it's lowest and not getting better. Parking in Melrose is so bad we have no where to go.
At the meeting she abstained they held it open for information gathering., I do not remember the exact verbiage, she abstained on the vote for lack of information that had been respirated with ample time. She called for an order to postpone the vote for I believe two weeks so more information would be and could be collected. Grandstanding? That’s a bit much, when you have the president of the board saying something so important is “simple” maybe for them but for me it might cost me everything. I cant afford this, atleast she gave me a voice and many others.. she did her due diligence unlike the rest who just passed it on.
This override will go down harder than Dolan’s last attempt. And that is saying something considering two out of every three voters went against it. Sure we’ve added a few thousand residents, but overall it is the same voting base that shut down Dolans disaster.
The Mismanagement lack of Transparency and Coverups. No on any Override.
DID YOU KNOW: Even with the Middle School Debt Exclusion phasing out over the next 10 years, your total tax bill will have increased.
People seem so opposed to the override. there is a distrust with City Hall.
"Dolan[']s disaster" was not so much the override result itself but two things, before and after:
1. The incoherent grab-bag nature of the proposal. It signaled a serious lack of urgency to voters. And there's a long residue of that impression among voters who were around then and still remain - it serves as a background to skepticism. (In addition to the acculurated skepticism of long-time Melrosians who've seen City Hall and MPS school administration culture over time.)
2. Dolan's long, resentful pouting after the results. It showed how insulated the Dolanite regime had become by being in power far too long. Infurna is part of that regime. Melrosians need substantial regime change. This also was the case when the longtime GOP regime that preceded Dolan held on for too long.