With the Mueller findings of no Russian collusion after 2 years, my question to everyone is, how can anyone trust anything democrats do or say ever again. Millions of dollars wasted because they hate the man. This override is being pushed by the democrats in charge of this city and the lone republican, Monica, is the only one against it. So yes it is a partisan issue. And like most partisan issues the democrats want power and want money and will never admit defeat. How many of the city's dems believed there was russian collusion? How many have come out and said, thank God our President is guilty of no wrong doing? The arrogance of people like PB who thinks his **** don't stink,the friendliness of PM waving to everyone around town, and the sweet innocence of MZ who lets everyone know how much he cares about everybody. GI, I dont think she can fake anything. She is neither charming nor persuasive. She was just placed as a pawn. But all the Cambridge and Somerville transplants eat it up. We want to be like Lexington and Lincoln and Concord and we can be as some yessers seem to believe. No, No we cant. We dont have the land to go with our houses, their communities arent surrounded by small congested cities. These democrats are fake, they would sell their souls to the devil for a victory. They did sell it for health insurance. They dont care about anyone. Ive spoken with neighbors, elderly neighbors who are worried. OH well dont worry you can let your kids deal with it when you die. How nice of you people.
Also notice how no one has come out running for Mayor afraid of their position on the override affecting peoples decisions. Bunch of cowards. Then again, maybe no one will run and we could go back to a town meeting government.Unethical politics abound on every level. Dont fall for political "charm" aka bull****.
from the M Free Press:
Opinion: Medeiros: Taxpayers need unobstructed view
Posted at 12:40 PM Updated at 12:41 PM
Submitted by Alderman Monica Medeiros.
Last November, I, as an Alderman, voted against moving the Mayor’s proposed $5.18 million tax override question forward. I felt the city had not been thorough enough in evaluating our financial picture, nor in considering the effects of adding these millions of dollars of new spending.
In preparing for this vote, I learned that our city had much bigger problems than I had suspected. Namely that the executives in our city government have failed to do any long term evaluation of our financial outlook.
I felt it critical to have a full understanding of the financial assumptions the city was making before I could vote to pass such a hefty burden on to seniors and families.
After asking Mayor Infurna for copies of any long range budget forecasts that had been prepared and used by the City of Melrose over the last five years, I was forced to appeal to the Secretary of State’s office for this information only to learn that no such documents exist.
The Mayor’s office directed me to a tool on our city website, “Visual Budget.” In the Aldermen meeting, I asked our CFO & Auditor Patrick Dello Russo if this was the tool he was using to make our predictions in terms of revenues and expenditures. His reply? “We don’t make predictions. This is not a magic show.”
Try as I might, I could not seem to match the “Visual Budget” figures to the actual budgets I had voted on. Days later, Kerriann Golden, our Assistant Auditor confirmed, “The last actual figures reflected are Fiscal 2016,” -- two full fiscal years behind.
The outdated “Visual Budget” data was not only a waste of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent on this service, but also so inaccurate that it was actually misleading to the public. Most importantly, it could not have been being used as an accurate tool for evaluating our city’s financial outlook by anyone including our city executives.
Melrose is at a crossroads. Real estate prices have skyrocketed to an all-time high. Many new families have chosen Melrose for its great schools, beautiful downtown and its relative affordability.
Conversely, many of our families, seniors and one-income households are struggling. Recently, a Melrose Housing Authority Commissioner testified at our meeting that the waitlist for housing of Melrose families, seniors, Veterans and the handicap is in the thousands.
Sadly, I hear from residents who are told if they can’t afford this increase, they should move along. But where will they go? After paying their taxes for years, volunteering in our community, donating to all kinds of causes, including our schools, they are told they haven’t paid their “fair share” and should move along. I can think of little that is so cruel.
Even for those of us who are working, many of us are only one lockout or government shutdown away from being in financial peril.
But regardless of income, every taxpayer deserves good fiscal management.
As an Alderman-at-Large, my job is to consider the big picture ramifications of our decisions, especially when it comes to spending and taxation. When it comes to the big picture, the taxpayers deserve an unobstructed view.
If our leaders are not looking forward to ensure we can sustain the costs associated with the hiring of nearly 30 new positions and school department raises (not teachers only) of nearly $2 million included in this proposal, every one of these positions is at risk.
Before final decisions are made, the voters also need to know that large expenditures are waiting in the wings. What’s not included in this override, may be most significant.
This proposed tax increase includes no money for any other city department other than the schools. Although $250,000 is included in the override for the loss of rent from Beebe School, no plan exists to bring this building back online and fund the staff, renovation nor utility costs. As we make room for some Melrose students, we will disrupt the lives of the 30 or so Melrose special needs children who currently attend the SEEM Collaborative who will be uprooted and bussed to a new school outside our city limits.
Plans are in the works for the rebuilding or repair of the police and fire stations, and renovations of the library. Whether or not this question passes, each of these is expected to be presented to the voters in the form of an increase above the Prop 2 ½ limit.
Like our taxpayers, our leaders need a panoramic view before they make decisions that affect individuals so significantly. Financial forecasting in budgeting has been considered a best practice for more than a decade. Melrose can do better. Before any tax increase is considered, our taxpayers deserve an objective analysis of our financial picture and an independent audit of our books.
Demand accountability. Vote NO.
You might say it’s not a republican democrat issue but I have noticed one thing that’s true I read on hear somewhere before, every liberal home with a blue sign in front of it, if they have a tax vote sign it’s vote yes. Or at least they say they’re voting yes.
I am a Democrat who is more sincerely liberal that most here and I am voting NO, NO, & more NO.
I don't remember the political parties of our local officials. The party affiliation seems mostly irrelevant at this level.
Being a Democrat doesn't mean supporting undeserved tax increases.
We are also horrified and mortified by the conduct of too many of those claiming "One" status! Just a short while ago someone posted more threatening verbiage about someone voting no, attacking their very patriotism and goodness as a person. Truly dismaying and makes it embarrassing to think these are our neighbors.