The entire City Budget needs a Forensic Audit before any additional bonding, debt exclusions or an override are discussed

Transparency is required and major budget adjustments are necessary. Gail can disprove the opinion that she is an Illegitimate Mayor by ordering a Forensic Audit.

The city made the Police get the 30,000 dollar Pomeroy audit and it actually showed they were operating understaffed and underfunded causing dangerous conditions in the City. I’m sure an audit will expose the funding shellgame being played. Know it is time for the school to go audit

The Melrose Swamp Creatures and the stench of their mismanagement and overt corruption permeate all levels of city governance.

The only facts the taxpayers need to know to address never-ending deficits and needed overrides is there are currently 350 retired city retirees (teachers and school adm not included) and only 1/4 are former police or fire personnel. Most of the other 3/4 are former part-time workers getting a life pension after 10 years service and full-time health insurance for life. All their names and pension amounts are public information. Dolan ballooned that number to 450 more future retirees, himself included, for a life pension and health after 10 years service. Again, only 25 percent are current police or fire personnel. Their names and job descriptions and work status at PT or FT are not public info. We have a bloated boat afloat in Melrose for many insiders. Believe it. Also believe that when the mayor and aldermen do not get their overrides to keep this boat chugging along, they jack the water and sewer rates and/or take a loan like the 6 million two years ago for modular classrooms when only 3 million was spent on such. Where did the other 3 mill go?? That has to be paid back with significant interest and with no revenue-producing offset. Until we have leadership that puts the taxpayers above the insiders and we clean house by making FT work required for FT benefits, the falsehoods will continue. And we all lose.

Any Override debate needs to be part of a 2019 Mayoral Election not before. Gail Infurna is an unelected Mayor with limited abilities. She is not capable of articulating a rationale for an Override and voters do not view her as having the authority to lead since she was appointed Mayor in a backhanded way. Infurna is responsible for much of the mismanagement and money games Melrose politicians played for years. Her questioning was limited and juvenile. PDR will bully her and tell her what to do. PDR had to flee Plymouth for a combination of fiscal malfeasance and personal, moral and legal problems. It will be interesting to see how those BOA members jockeying to run for Mayor will act.

Yes, yes, yes!
Unless there is a dramatic change in transparency and the willingness of BOA members to stand up to Patrick's bullying behavior and question how the books are cooked, an increase in taxes to support City needs will never happen. An Override cannot be rushed and should not happen until the next Mayoral election is held in 2019. Candidates for all elected offices in this City need to make their stances on taxes and political transparency front and center in their campaigns.