See PCC's voter alert here.
Informational meeting: Tuesday, May 24, 6 p.m.
Times coverage here.
Town vote: Tuesday, June 14, all day
As the country slides into a double-dip recession, town and school officials in Peru are proposing to raise a record amount of money in the fiscal year that begins July 1. The municipal budget, if approved by the voters on June 14, will drop by 0.9% to $697,401.19 (a figure that excludes school and county assessments). But do not mistake that small dip for a New Austerity, as it follows on the heels of last year's ginormous 19% hike. The Selectmen propose to keep this elevated level of spending despite all of the following:
- a vote by the townspeople last June 8 NOT to raise the tax levy limit beyond the LD 1 constraint
- a later petition signed by over 200 townspeople to restore the tax levy limit in effect immediately following the June 8 vote
- unpaid tax receivables totaling over a quarter of a million dollars as of May 1
- an increase of nearly $4,000 in the county assessment for FY 2012
- an increase of over $76,000 in the school assessment for FY 2012
- no meaningful recovery in municipal revenue sharing from the State
The biggest line-item increases in the municipal budget can be attributed to the rising costs of health insurance for town employees. Currently employees make no contribution to their health coverage; the Town picks up 100% of the premiums for a zero-deductible policy. Such a generous benefit is rare in the private sector and no longer offered in the regional school district, where teachers see a payroll deduction to help cover rising premiums.
Peru Concerned Citizens recommends a "NO" vote on Articles 5, 7, and 11. [A link to the June 14 ballot appears top right.] Those are the three articles where the Town's health costs are embedded. A "NO" vote on any spending article triggers a default appropriation of 80% of the prior year's budget for that line item. The Selectmen have the option of resubmitting spending articles for the voters' reconsideration. If the Selectmen choose that path, it is the hope of Peru Concerned Citizens that rejected articles are revised downward better to reflect the wishes of the townspeople, also that any re-vote be conducted by referendum through day-long polling and NOT by a sparsely attended special town meeting.
The Finance Committee recommends a "NO" vote on Article 7 for a separate reason, viz. that there should be savings in the Town Office budget because of the Town's recent investment of $25,000+ in computer software/hardware.