Acton Town Meeting will decide if Acton needs a 6.6% budget expansion and a 4.1% property tax increase for next year, or whether a more prudent budget is in order in these troubling economic times. In addition, TM will decide if Acton’s “Tax to the Max” budgeting philosophy is Acton’s future, or if Acton should better consider its 5,000 most vulnerable citizens and find alternatives to maximum tax increases each year.

More than ever it is important to come to TM because there will likely be an opportunity to vote for or against budgets and property tax increases. This year TM needs to decide: should Acton expand its budgets 6.6% next year in a declining economy; or should Acton be more prudent and protect its present staff and programs, but implement less budget expansion and less property tax increases?

Acton Officials believe it is time for a 6.6% budget expansion to fund twenty eight new full time positions. These will be permanent positions that add new functions and programs.

There are as yet no budget numbers in the published warrant articles, so budgets and tax increases will be presented at the last minute in a few hours at TM and voters will be asked to digest it all and fairly decide the best course into the future.

There will be no time for a real debate at TM. There will be professional handouts, slides and charts by Town and School officials who have agreed to present a unified position supporting this 6.6% budget expansion. One FinCom member stated publicly that he was opposed to the size of the budget increases, but he voted to send them to TM to let TM decide. Every voter should try to come to TM to help decide budgets and taxes.

What would happen if the budget increases were voted down at TM? Acton schools will remain among the best in the state as all Actonians want them to be. There will be no layoffs or cutbacks to current staff and programs in Schools or Town. Without a property tax increase Acton Town and Schools would simply not add twenty eight new staff, but will be able to keep all the staff they have.

The present school staff and programs would be protected since schools will receive increased state aid to cover all present staff, all salary increases, all benefit increases, and there is some funding for modest new initiatives. The municipal side would be able to use today’s open requisitions to fill needed personnel spots, along with free cash for needed pay adjustments.

In addition, if budgets do not pass as presented, Acton officials might reconsider their three year plan that implements a “Tax to the Max” philosophy into the foreseeable future to sustain the twenty eight new staff positions. This maximum tax increase planned for each year does not yet include additional capital overrides discussed for needed future capital spending items.

Modifying budgets sends a message that it is time to discuss available alternatives to protect town and school staff and spending while minimizing tax increases. These alternatives include productivity improvements, “reinventing Acton”, and improved procedures.

What are the chances that a budget might be modified at TM? Very good if voters turn out, since TM is all about votes and not about debate.

Here is a vote calculation: Acton has 13,082 registered voters. Acton school families are about 5000 voters, a well organized voting bloc that gets out its vote for increased school spending. Seniors and vulnerable citizens are about 5000 votes, but often have trouble attending TM because it is inconvenient. Another approximately 3000 voters have no school kids, do not particularly like Acton’s high tax bill, but generally avoid TM because it is long and inconvenient.

Every voter should try to attend Town Meeting to vote on whether Acton needs a 6.6% budget expansion and a 4.1% property tax increase for next year, or whether a more prudent budget is in order in these troubling economic times. TM starts Monday, April 7th at 7:00PM in the high school auditorium.

Clint Seward is a twenty plus year Acton resident and can be reached at cseward@verizon.net