"Police officers put the badge on every morning, not knowing for sure if they'll come home at night to take it off."
~Tom Cotton

Monday, April 14, 2008

BREAKING NEWS - Selectmen put high school override* on the ballot

I like to give credit where credit is due, and tonight the selectmen deserve some praise.

After the 3-1-1 split vote on the high school debt exclusion* two weeks ago, and the harrowing reports that it may not go to the ballot on May 20 after all, they voted - unanimously - to give us a chance to exercise our opinion about it.

Also worthy of praise is former selectman and Precinct 5 representative Troy Clarkson, who spoke in favor of putting this on the ballot. He not only writes well, but speaks eloquently about our government of, by and for the people. Frankly, I wish he was still sitting behind the big table.


*For the record, an override is a permanent increase in the tax rate, a debt exclusion is a temporary multi-year increase, and a capital exclusion is a one time (i.e., one year) temporary increase.

While debt and capital exclusions are temporary, they are still tax increases. Most folks are more acquainted with the term override, and so you'll find me interchanging these terms with the latter.

1 comment:

Brent Putnam said...

Apparently state law doesn't allow the use of the terms "debt exclusion" or "capital exclusion" in the question language. They apparently agree with my assessment that most folks are more familiar with the term "override."