Friends,
We strongly
object to the proposed 2020-2021 Charlestown Town budget that is
currently up for vote by mail, and with in-person voting at the
Charlestown Elementary School on June 1st from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
During the April
13 and the May 11 Town Council meetings, Vice President Deb Carney made
several suggestions to reduce spending and preserve our financial reserve
funds in these uncertain time.
Most of her
proposals were rejected by the CCA-dominated Council. The result will be
unnecessarily spending-down our financial reserves, just at the time when
state aid may be reduced, revenues may be down, and expenses may increase
because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This budget
breaks the promise that was made to the taxpayers last year when $74,000
was set aside to do a survey about using part of the Town's
surplus.
The opposition
is now using the Animal Shelter as a shameless ploy to garner support for
this budget. If this budget is rejected, then the Town Council will
develop a revised budget. The only way the Animal Shelter
improvements will not be included is if the majority of the Town Council
votes to remove the item from the revised budget. Not one person at
any of the meetings regarding the budget even suggested removing these
improvements.
Read Ms.
Carney's statement about proposed budget here.
Learn more about
how your tax bill is computed, here. You will
hear, from the CCA, that the tax rate is going down. The important thing
to know is that your tax bill is likely to go up.
Charlestown
resident (and CRU treasurer) Dr. Kenneth Robbins wrote a Westerly Sun
letter to the editor explaining his views on the budget. You can read
that here.
Due to COVID-19-
this year Charlestown is offering the opportunity to vote either by mail
or in person at the Charlestown Elementary School.
Ballots were
mailed to all registered voters. If you have not already received yours,
it should be arriving soon.
Voting by mail
ballot allows you to vote without having to go to the polls in person. If
you choose the mail ballot, it MUST be received by the Charlestown Board
of Canvassers by MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 by 8:00 pm.
The ballot can
be mailed (there is a postage paid envelope included in the packet from
the Town) or dropped in the white drop box outside the front door of Town
Hall.
You may also
vote in person. This year voting will take place on Monday, June 1, 2020
from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm at the Charlestown Elementary School.
Thank you, Jodi Frank, Chairperson, Charlestown Residents United
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