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.
Just look at the history of the superintendent as she has not been transparent over the years . A few years ago a member of the SC resigned and asked for the superintendent’s resignation. Now the SC has a disbarred lawyer and ex convict as its chairman. It should be no mystery why the majority of residents in this community do not trust the information coming from city hall.
Melrose takes awhile to wake up and hopefully not to long this time. It is time for This superintendent. To be fazed out soon.
I still smile whenever i think of that override getting flushed down the toilet by the realistic people in our city.
If people think that the override will serve the attended purpose, then they are ill-informed or completely ignorant. While many good educator's have left this school system, for varied reasons, the administrator's have replaced them with inexperienced, sub standard teachers for lower salaries. Look no further than the English department at the high school, or the math department.
People leave positions all the time for more pay, better work environment, better benefits, ect. This is not a unique situation. When used to justify pulling more tax $$ from hard working people it is insulting.
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.
Just curious about whether or not folks are opposed to THIS override or all overrides. If you don't want to share, that's cool.
I voted for the large override in 1992 (which, btw, we still continue to pay; it was in inflation-adjusted terms comparable to the current override proposal), and for the middle school debt exclusion even without children of my own in the system. I did not vote for the 2015 override proposal, which was a grab-bag of divers goodies whose incoherence left my mouth agape.
I am open to project-specific debt exclusions for capital construction projects for a policy and fire buildings (not one bond to cover multiple projects - I do not trust the current administration to resist the temptation to hide problems by moving money around), preferably timed to kick in when the middle school bond is paid off (or, to figure out a way to retire that bond earlier).
For now, I lack trust in the school administration and Dolanite insiders in City Hall to support this override. Exposure to the underside of the city's governmental insiderism has done that to a number of Melrosians, very much including on the progressive side of things where there's not a simple allergy to taxes. (To put it in local terms, whereas back Ye Olde Days the late Sue Kelleher (d. 2009) was our local version of Barbara Anderson (d. 2016) and skepticism about property taxes was more associated with one segment of the political spectrum, today I would very say: not no mo', and override proponents would be well advised to avoid assuming things now are like Ye Olde Days in that regard.)
As I've mentioned elsewhere on these boards, the property taxes on my modest apt have increased nearly 13% in the last year, and over 11% in the previous year, and my property taxes have increased over 75% on a compounded inflation-adjusted basis (over 120% in absolute terms) in the last 14 years - so far ahead of anything like 2.5% a year. I am not persuaded that I am undertaxed in light of what an override can bring in the future, but without the governmental and administrative culture changes that would be needed to restore the bona fides of City Hall and the school administration.
I appreciate the answer. Next question....how do we move forward/change enough to satisfy folks like yourself? Who has to leave the City admin? I wonder how many years it will take. And I'm a little afraid of what will happen to city services in the meantime. Thanks.
Taymore must go. And the lifers on the BOA and School Committee who've never demonstrated any critical fiscal and governance distance from the Dolan borg*. (Mind you, I voted happily for Dolan at first and then a few more times, given the GOP borg that preceded him - Balfour (anyone remember him? he had the MDC sinecure) would have been a disaster.)
It would be much more helpful if we had a skeptical editor of our local press organs. Local press (hardly unique to Melrose) tends to be credulous of what municipal administrations put out in the feeder, so it's generally just more PR than news.
* I would not welcome Scott Brodeur as mayor unless and until he demonstrated that, either. I am not holding my breath. And I'd want any mayor to commit to leave after no more than 8 years. Ditto aldermen. We don't have a have a charter amendment to demand that. Zwirko, who I had high hopes in when he was running, has disappointed me greatly; he poses well but allowed himself to be assimilated into the borg.
*Paul Brodeur
So, looks like Driscoll is the SC member you speak of? All of the others are fairly new, and I wouldn't call them lifers. BOA, decent mix of old and new. But I see where you're coming from. Thanks for the info. I appreciate knowing where people are coming from.
I also voted for the 1st override with no problem! I voted no on the 2nd because I felt too much money going to administrators. I am voting no on this one for a number of reasons. I have an issue with how fast this was done. I would have preferred an elected Mayor to address the override. Also this is a lot of money for one department. I am nervous about where the money will be applied in the future. If the amount requested was less I would probably vote YES. I think it was either Stoneham or Reading that reduced the amount asked and it passed Thank you for respectfully asking why.
And thank you for a simple answer!
Seems that a large part of the 5.18 will go to rehires (from cut positions), new hires and teacher salaries, and those things will not go away in the future and will need continued funding (well, if those did get cut to put money elsewhere, you'd have all of the "yes" voters going bonkers after working so hard to get more $$ more the schools). But I do know a lot of share that concern. Lack of trust in city govt.
If the override fails again, I think we'll be having the same discussions again, pretty soon.
Stay warm!
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.
Whose leaving now?
Respect The Rights Of Others. Treat others as you want to be treated.
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 xxxx about all things fiscal.
They are hoping to get lower voter turnout in order to pass it. Everyone equates Election Day to November. They mayor and proponents will suggest it’s because fiscal year begins July 1. However, the fiscal year begins every year on July 1. Think about it. The 2015 override was in November and the citizens spoke loud and clear in soundly defeating it.Their only chance to ever pass an override is through a special election. If the election was in November instead of April it would only impact one fiscal year. The cost for the special election at all 14 precincts is 25-30k. Seems such a waste when a mandated election is 7 months later. Additionally, the mayor has been discussing override plans since last April. She could have asked BOA toput it on November 2018 ballot. However, she knows it would be defeated by a wide margin if election is in November. Shameful!!!
The override debate has dominated civic discussion in Melrose ever since the Board of Aldermen agreed to this tax override vote.April 2 2019 Tuesday .
Congratulations. You just got you Masters in stating the obvious - again.
It could be interpreted that way I suppose. But how about this? Stop swiping METCO funds for use in the general school budget.
The override is going to fail. I wonder what disingenuous snarky comment she'll make then? The expression on her face as she was saying that made me want to throw a brick at the TV. What a tarantula.
Do yourself a favor. Take a long, hard, honest look at the collection of nitwits running the schools. How could you possibly expect anything but what we've gotten?
Educated and informed voter.We do have.Just to get even basic information in order to make informed decisions on important votes. The voters will do April 2 2019.
Lesson to be learned: Change.
Demand Truth and Accountability.
Parents should be blamed for some of their actions. I don't think they have to worry it will be the same president again.
As we have discovered (almost daily!), you can apparently lie despite the facts, and a lot of buffoons will STILL Not have all the facts.
How can you stop teacher from leaving? More are leaving again. No leadership or control from this administration.
Dolan and Taymore Banking on Paul B. to win then he's all set again.
Monica would never take Melrose in the wrong direction again like Mayor Dolan or Clarke I was voting for Monica anyway her record speaks for her.
Going Against the Odds To Be Successful. Never be afraid to have a little sane touch of madness. Like Ellen DeGeneres now saying what the presidents family face daily is not kind.
Great post i agree with it all.this democrat will be voting for her.i do not care about the R next to her name its about the person for me and she is fair and will listen to both sides.with me its time for a change in this city and with paul its the same crap we had with Dolan..
Lesson to be learned: Change the school superintendent . short of this nothing changes.This is for PAUL Brodeur,Hopefully with all your experien you will have a new superintendent
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.
It's about being accountable. How can Taymore look people in the eyes and say that she are for educational excellence when she lack a basic understanding of transparency and honesty towards the residents of Melrose.This website often sheds light on subjects politicians.The truth hurts.We all have every right to be concerned.What's going on in Melrose?
Lesson to be learned: Change the school superintendent . short of this nothing changes.Do it soon 2019.
Where have you been? She's retiring June 30th. There's no way in hell now that anyone is going to do anything before then!
Where has he been? He's been busy repeating the same idiotic post over and over and over again under different screen names.
Thanks! That's a relief!
Life takes twists and turns…
Just remember. The best budget is the one you will stick with.
.Long-shuttered stores may unlocking their doors. And manufacturers are starting to hire employees back to the assembly lines. But the economic recovery might not be a quick one, a state fiscal watchdog group warned Thursday.
The hopes for a sharp and immediate rebound from the COVID-19 shutdown in Massachusetts are no longer realistic, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which is now predicting a long and slow climb that will strain state resources. State revenues may not fully recover until 2025, MTF said.
The impacts of the economic downturn could be mitigated by tapping into the state’s $3.5 billion reserve fund or if Congress sent more relief funding to states like Massachusetts, but even with stimulus the group said past recessions have proven that the state could be in for a multi-year period of austerity.
“To state the implications straightforwardly: the Commonwealth will have limited budgetary flexibility for the next several years as tax revenues slowly rebound, particularly if the demand for safety net services resulting from an ailing economy and an aging population drive up expenditures,” MTF said in the report.
The paper published Thursday was a follow-up to the foundation’s report earlier this month downgrading its revenue estimates for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to reflect an anticipated $6 billion drop in projected tax collections. The foundation’s newly pessimistic outlook on the length of the recovery is based on what it said was the severity of the decline and the widespread and fundamental changes the pandemic has wrought on pillars of the state’s economy, like higher education and tourism.
Ted Kenney
John Tramontozzi.A “Perfect storm” of economic uncertainty threatens the Budget of the City of Melrose.
Recently the Massachusetts Municipal Association announced that “Communities are at the Center of Three Waves:”
1. The murder of George Floyd has catapulted this nation into a defining moment, with sweepings calls to address the systemic racism that persists in our society and economy;
2. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our daily lives and businesses, and this deadly threat to public health is draining resources, straining families, and reshaping government services and operations;
3. The Massachusetts economy is battered by the Covid-19 emergency, and state and local governments face historically deep fiscal challenges and uncertainty that could last for years.
The citizens of our city have faced tremendous personal and financial burdens. These challenges have been met with a spirit of volunteerism, community investment, and activism. We have reached into our hearts and pockets to support one another. We have more challenges ahead as we address the Health economic security and social well-being of our diverse population of citizens
Many of our neighboring cities and towns have begun to face their budgetary challenges with deep cuts and, in some cases, immediate layoffs of municipal employees. The State is dealing with its own financial difficulties with deficits predicted to be in the area of 6-8 billion dollars, which means a certain drastic drop in reimbursed funds to the cities and towns.
I believe the impact of these uncharted times amid the coronavirus crisis and social adversity and reform are financially uncalculated. Members of the City Council and the Administration carry a responsibility not only to anticipate these financial burdens to our citizens but meet these challenges proactively. The city has, and will, be faced with unprecedented costs for which we cannot rely on State or Federal Government funding to support.
If we continue the current course taken in our deliberations on the FY 2021 budget, of refusing to stay the automatic raises (cost of living increases) we will be coming back to our citizens who are struggling through a pandemic with our hands out, inexplicably having funded an increase in salary for every employee of every department at City Hall. In the past several weeks I have consistently advocated that we must stay these raises, It is a misnomer to refer to this common-sense practice of level city funding at the Fiscal Year 2020 rates (where possible) as “cuts”. I am not proposing “cuts” in non-union employee salaries, I am proposing that there be no FY2021 raises. This is a reasonable, sensible, and fiscally responsible approach as we continue to serve an economically and socially diverse population.
It is our job, though at times uncomfortable, to face the fiscal realities on behalf of all of our citizens, our most vulnerable being the hardest hit in times such as these. I am joined by veteran City Councilor MacMaster in efforts to mitigate the inevitable impact on our citizens and city employees but have yet to gain support from the rest of the City Council,
I would encourage all residents and taxpayers of this City to reach out to the City Council to express your opinions on how we should address the FY2021 Budget.
Christoper Cinella
69 Cranmore Lane
(617) 917-4248
Jack Eccles
99 Essex Street, #10
(781) 913-0188
Maya Jamaleddine
10 Melrose Street
(781) 462-1960
Leila Migliorelli
25 Dartmouth Road
(781) 462-1425
Ward Councilor
John N. Tramontozzi
Ward 1
794 Franklin Street
(781) 662-6175
Jeffrey McNaught
Ward 2
94 Clifford Street
(781) 620-0442
Robb Stewart
Ward 3
92 Trenton Street
(781) 521-4913
Mark Garipay
Ward 4
71 Mooreland Road
(781) 665-0988
Shawn MacMaster
Ward 5
35 Brazil Street
(781) 462-1875
Jen Grigoraitis
Ward 6
419 Lebanon Street
(781) 462-1288
Cory Thomas
Ward 7
19 Linwood Avenue
(617) 957-4227
City Council Melrose Massachusetts Phone Numbers And Address That Represent all of us.Just remember. The best budget is the one you will stick with.
Mass. DPH announces 38 new confirmed COVID-19 deaths in state
The state’s Department of Public Health announced on Saturday afternoon that an additional 38 people who had confirmed cases of COVID-19 have died in Massachusetts as a result of the virus.
That increase pushes the death toll from COVID-19 in the Commonwealth to 7,576 people. Of those fatalities, 7,420 deaths were among people with confirmed cases of the virus, while the additional 156 deaths were among people who had probable cases of COVID-19.
Also, Mass. DPH reported that there are an additional 336 cases of the virus in the state since their last update on Friday. Of those new cases, 259 are confirmed cases of COVID-19, while 77 are probable cases.
That means that there are 101,070 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Massachusetts and an additional 4,325 probable cases, according to DPH.
In addition to those increases, Mass. DPH also reported that 10,160 more people have been given molecular tests for COVID-19 in the state, bringing the total number of people tested via molecular test to 699,271 in Mass.
Also, 1,264 additional people were tested via antibody test, pushing the total number of people given that type of test to 57,048.
Friday, June 12:
BROOKLINE (CBS) – As layoff notices go out across the state, educators rallied to save their jobs with a caravan through the streets of Brookline Monday. The procession, which involved an estimated 500 vehicles, started at Larz Anderson Park and ended at Brookline High — where hundreds protested sweeping education cuts.
“There are some districts that are cutting art, gym, music, technology, computers, library those are some of the most important subjects,” said Sarah Blout Rosenberg, a Cambridge teacher.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) says hundreds of educators, across more than 50 school districts, have been pink slipped – they fear hundreds more are at risk. On Monday alone, educators in Medford, Newton and Norfolk were notified of a reduction in force. Superintendents are blaming the budget cuts on the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis.
Teachers rally to save jobs at Brookline High School (WBZ-TV)
“Cuts at this level are going to be devastating to public education, particularly in communities of color,” said MTA President Merrie Najimy. “We need to balance the budget on the backs of the millionaires and billionaires and not on the backs of the people.”
In Brookline, Graciela Mohamedi is one of 360 educators who were laid off last month. But after public push-back, the district has since re-hired more than 300 school employees. Mohamedi was recalled last week, only to be laid off again. In an email, Brookline school officials told her they made a mistake.
“Our educators and our students are not cogs on a wheel. And we’ve been treated that way for decades. We’re constantly asked to sacrifice for the sake of the kids. Most of us have master’s degrees and have to work two jobs,” Mohamedi said. “It’s impossible to have school exist when so many educators are being laid off. And there is so much work that needs to be done in order to ensure that every child is educated in an equitable way. There wasn’t enough manpower in the schools before COVID hit. Now, we need more teachers, not less.”
In a statement to WBZ-TV, Brookline’s Superintendent said, “I am disappointed that in our rush to rescind the layoff notices as quickly as possible, the school district sent incorrect letters to a small number of staff members on Friday. Working with principals, we quickly identified these errors and notified affected staff on the same day. We have assured these staff that the errors will be cleared up early this week.”
According to the MTA, June 15th is the required deadline for school districts to notify teachers, in their first three years of service, that their contracts will not be renewed. Since the state doesn’t collect this type of data, union leaders will track the numbers. But as layoff deadlines loom for teachers’ aides and other support staff, the full scope of the fallout is still unknown.