Finally I get to say NO. I Vote NO!
The paras are menaced for failure after the two year contract is up. CT had already manage this with the fake paras and teachers union. So long paras if the override fails in April you will know who to thank.
Why is she still the superintendent of schools... Ask the school committee that question they know the story too...!
Then an audit should be done along with where is the money being spent. She has no reason not to tell the tax payers like myself with no children in the schools who, what, where and when.
If you want a better school system, move to an affluent community. Melrose is middle class, nothing more, nothing less.
Melrose has always thought the "we" are Lynnfield and Winchester, when we've always been Wakefield, Stoneham, and Medford, and there's nothing wrong with being middle class.
Don't be obtuse. Melrose kids would get a quality education if the administration wasn't totally incompetent.
That's true. Melrose had a chance to get a quality administrator with a proven track record, and instead opted for Taymore. They were were warned she would be a problem, but they ignored all advice not to hire her.
The Mismanagement lack of Transparency and Coverups. No on any Override.
My kid was on an IEP at the middle school. The first week of class, the English teacher told her "I'm not going to follow your IEP, I am treating you just like everyone else." That cost the tax payer $50,000 a year till she graduated high school. Multiply that by about 30 times per graduating class and you get the idea how the superintendent's thoughtlessness for children is costing the tax payer multi-millions of dollars per year. That does not even account for the multiple civil rights violations per year costing the Melrose taxpayers millions more for their incompetence. The superintendent and the city solicitor think they are smart asses, illegally retaliating against families with kids that have educational needs thinking they will just leave the school district. The Melrose taxpayers think they are just incompetent asses who are costing the taxpayers millions. Dig a little deeper, if the "One Melrose" lemmings will let you know where your tax dollar is being wasted (they won't). And to top it off, the current SC chair nominates an ex-con, convicted of stealing well over a million from clients to oversee a $30 million + budget?? Wow, just wow. How did we vote in such incompetents into office? Sad to say but we get what we deserve.
Do we deserve Paul Brodeur as the next Mayor?
The Mismanagement lack of Transparency and Coverups.
Very long discussion on MCG about the override. Someone always brings up how Melrose taxes are lower than comparable towns. A woman commented that she is paying $7500/year. I thought mine was high at $6400 for my 6 small rooms on slightly over 4000 sq ft. The average lot size in Melrose is between 5 and 6 thousand square ft. $7500 is outrageous. Maybe someone in Reading is paying $8000 on a similar house (doubtful) but I’m sure their lot size is probably close to double a Melrose lot size. Also the amount we pay in water in sewer definitely brings us up to par with what those is those towns pay for both. I’m sick of being duped. All the apt buildings were supposed to help. Reality is they’ve overpopulated the city and still want us to pay for it.
The yessers also use the argument of better schools, increased property values. Well the schools have not changed in years yet my property values have almost quadrupled in 19 years. I grew up here. I rented half a duplex for $750/mo before buying my home for $220000. Now you can’t even rent the same size apt for triple what I rented for. I would I’ve for my teens to be able to buy here but with the home prices and rising property taxes there will be no way. One wants to be a firefighter and one a nurse. Both admirable, hardworking professions yet they won’t be able to afford Melrose, unlike their predecessors in the same fields could 25 years ago. So stop talking about continuing rising property values AND taxes as if it’s a wonderful thing. Not at these rates anyway.
Seems that those who are buying now are all leftist types who had college funds, were coddled by their parents, have little to no student debt, were given $100000 for down payment but realized living in cities like Cambridge and Somerville wasn’t quite worth the money and decided to pay astronomical amounts for tiny homes in Melrose, it doesn’t have the crime or, at least not yet, the traffic. So they move to Melrose and are transforming it into their own little progressive, hip, slice of heaven. Well I have 15 or so years before I can retire, sell and move. I’m a blue collar union worker who works hard and thankfully has a pension plan and an annuity because I can’t afford to save much otherwise. I will not be forced out before I’m ready because of tax and water rates. I will vote NO and there’s not an argument in the world that will change my mind.
Just don't assume that progressives are pro-override and unnecessarily alienate them. The progressives in Melrose I know personally all appear to be strongly inclined to vote against the override, as they are aware that Melrose's school committee and city hall cultures are strongly self-protective and opaque, which are not pluses if you want accountable popular government.
"Don't negatively generalize people like me because of political differences, and I won't generalize people like you.
And your side thinks the yes voters are being too mean. Ridiculous."
Likewise, don't negatively generalize all opponents or skeptics of the override. Many of them are also progressives. being a progressive doesn't necessarily entail support of this override as proposed. If that surprises you, so be it.
Our water rates are out of control. I get anxiety if I hear someone running the water for more than 5 seconds or flushing the toilet twice.
"But more than that, I don't want my kids going to underfunded schools."
Throwing more money at the schools will not really help them where they need help: regime change in the administration. If anything, withholding more coin is more likely to further what needs to be done first. I lived in this city when the decadent GOP insiderism was a costly problem, and we have the same thing now just under the successor regime.
Wow!! Override is currently projected to lose 63%-37%. So much for that early canvassing!!
That's probably pretty close. But don't worry, they'll be back in a couple more years trying again, and using the same pack of lies. I was always ambivalent about Infurna, but not any more. She's Dolan in a dress.
I agree that is what the final result will probably turn out to be give or take 5% points.The sad thing is the no side has no even started campaigning yet and they lead by that margin. Always thought the demographics would determine the override result.
"She’s making it up, obviously. I’m impressed she can add up to 100!"
Could be. Sort of like saying there's a 600K deficit when there really isn't.
One Melrose - as long as you agree with them. It's a walking, talking oxymoron.
Importantly voters do not trust the folks running City Hall.
Thanks to Melrose Messages, Melrosians were able to get timely information and opinion on these big stories.
There was none. Suddenly there was plenty. Millions of free cash magically shows up every year.
. The doomsday scenario painted by the administration if the override fails is not shared by our independent auditors or bond rating firm who have no vested interest in the outcome of the override.Specifically, S&P in its bond rating(which is the same rating we have had for several years)stated Melrose has great budget flexibility with available fund balance of 8.8% of operating expenses. Furthermore, S&P expects budget flexibility to remain very strong. This does not remotely mention the doomsday day scenario presented by city hall. Think about why that is for a moment.
For the last five fiscal years, the following amount of free cash has been certified by the state as follows:
6/30/2018. $3.6 million
6/30/2017. $2.3 million
6/30/2016. $4.32 million
6/30/2015. $3.4 million
6/30/2014. $3.2 million
If that is not enough data to contradict city hall, look at the city’s Audited financial statements for the year ending 6/30/18. & 6/30/2017 prepared by the CPA firm Powers & Sullivan. There is a reason why the majority of the city don’t believe Dello Russo or the Mayor with respect to financial information that continues to be contradicted by third parties.
I am willing consider voting "yes" only when city hall and the superintendent's office come forward with requested information on past spending as well budget projections. In the past, they refuse to release this information, even to our elected alderman and school committee members who have had to repeatedly enforce compliance with the State's Public Records laws by filing complaints with the Secretary of State's office. I consider this obstructionist and undemocratic behavior by the mayor, school committee chair, superintendent of schools and other complicit public servants as a personal attack against the taxpayers and students of Melrose. This abhorrent behavior continues to this day and was the primary reason the last override failed miserably. Melrose taxpayers would like to make an educated decision on the override, but cannot if these city officials continue to deny information requests.
My family can’t afford it and will vote No,
Born and raised in Melrose. I worked all my life for an honest days pay. I didnt have money to go to college but was still able to make money and retire. There were some tough times for sure. My chlidren moved away from Melrose to cities in other states and sent their kids to good public schools. My grand kids will be much better off then me because they were able to get a solid education. There going to college, and will be middle class. Don't know if they would come back to live in Melrose, but it makes me beleive in good schools. Even though money is tight for me, I will support the override. People say the rich young families are ruining it for us locals. They will pay more than their fair share so the kids from not as rich families will get a solid start.
Can someone please find a source about the ratio issue, all the questions and research done show there is no ratio issue.. Just certain peoples preferences. The ratio on the last site i looked showed 20 as the school average. It is below the norm.. Taymore laid off four teachers because there was no need for them so how is there a problem. Spacing? We just spent millions on the PODS to help with that. Why rush something as important as this and without proper information. Lets rush it and not come up with a pan for the future? Just throw a 5.18 million at it and hope it does the trick.
Time to get real about the issue. Melrose school system may have issues like any school but it is so far exagerrated for the purpose of gaining taxpayers dollars. Several other people posted their fear about having such an increase in bills with the new tax added. Do you plan to leave them behind? If you can afford it great but I really find it sad that Melrose is willing to leave behind so many families. Of course the rebutle is what about leaving behind the kids.
After the last override failed the schools had the most improved testing scores in the region..The article was on here.
The BEBE is the answer? I thought the Mayor and Alderman stated it would and could never be saved. Taymore and Dolan stared us in the eyes and said the town and schools were in great shape.
Please read the article because it proved we did NOT need it last time either. It failed in 2015 and the next year was the highest increase in testing scores with a 98% graduation rate.
5.18 million is a lot for preference...
The Mismanagement lack of Transparency and Coverups.
Much of the talk in Melrose of late has centered on the upcoming tax override vote, with each side of the debate making their presence known and stating their respective cases to all who will listen.
Apparently the message board is doing the job it's supposed to be doing. That's the freedom of speech.
Any teacher who went to BC or BU can not afford to keep teaching in Melrose. They have enormous school loans and need a decent salary.
If you really want quality you need to pay and respect your best employees or they become discouraged and leave.
BC or BU? With tuition room & Board sticker price 70k per year, not sure how many BC or BU graduates today can afford to go into teaching whether it’s Melrose or another district. Better or off going to a state school like many of our current administrators and teachers in Melrose and across the state.
The reason you don't see many administration supporters posting here is because every time they do try to pass on the administration's propaganda, they are totally and thoroughly debunked with facts they can't dispute.
The administration is scared to death of this site, both now, and in it's prior incarnation. Why else do you think Dolan banned access to it, a practice that continues to this day?
This is the only place where voters can get even a portion of the truth. They certainly can't get it from city officials, who continue to mislead, obfuscate, and outright lie about all things fiscal. Melrose is a house of cards. The sooner that house of cards collapses, the sooner we can get a mulligan and fix the mess we've allowed to happen.
Do we still have teacher coaches? Is there one for each school or several distributed? Do they fall under administration salaries or teacher salaries? Just wondering. Thank you!
The reason you don't see many administration supporters posting here is because every time they do try to pass on the administration's propaganda, they are totally and thoroughly debunked with facts they can't dispute.
The administration is scared to death of this site, both now, and in it's prior incarnation. Why else do you think Dolan banned access to it, a practice that continues to this day?
This is the only place where voters can get even a portion of the truth. They certainly can't get it from city officials, who continue to mislead, obfuscate, and outright lie about all things fiscal. Melrose is a house of cards. The sooner that house of cards collapses, the sooner we can get a mulligan and fix the mess we've allowed to happen.
Apparently the message board is doing the job it's supposed to be doing. That's the freedom of speech.
You can learn more in the coming weeks. The Melrose Taxpayers' Alliance will be educating you with accurate, factual information to help you make the right choice in the April 2nd election. This is an important vote, so be sure and make your decision based on facts, not fiction! Visit Our new Melrose Taxpayers' Alliance website: www.melrosetaxpayers.com and follow us on Facebook to learn more https://www.facebook.com/melrosetaxpayers/
We will be working hard to reach out to all of our neighbors. If you have questions or would like to get more involved, please email us at MelroseTaxpayers@gmail.com.
Go to sleep, Seamus, you’re not helping. Why don’t you do something instead of asking others to do your job?