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Valley
Patriot Editorial
Come Join the Circus
(05/07/07)
We are looking forward to the
circus that will take place at this year’s May 14th
North Andover Town Meeting.
On the town warrant to be decided by North Andover voters
is a Proposition 2 ½ Override. A memo of
agreement signed on by the Board of Selectman, the School
Committee and the Finance Committee calls for the
approval of a $1.65 million tax override.
A warrant article by petitioner Sandy Gleed (Article 13)
calls for a $3.5 million override. Gleed’s article
seeks the amount of additional money required to fully
fund the schools’ restoration budget. The memo of
understanding is a compromise, seeking less than the full
amount, but more than the original Town Manager’s
recommendation based upon expected ’08 revenues.
Voters at town meeting can vote on Article 13 as is, or
amend the article to the $1.65 million ... or somewhere
in between. If an override article is approved, then a
special election may be called for voters to go to the
polls to accept or reject the override.
Town Meeting will be entertaining. There will be the
usual hysterical, pro-override advocates like Cindy
Jalbert and Diane Huster and the typical “no-override,
no matter what” activists like NATA President Ted
Tripp and Selectman Jim Xenakis.
Hopefully, the rest of the voters are somewhere in the
middle, willing to listen to the budget presentations,
consider the merits of each argument and ask relevant
questions before deciding how they will vote on the
override.
If you come to the circus, before you make a decision be
sure our officials answer the necessary questions about
the town budget. Questions like: is the money for the
override needed because we have to pay a new
superintendent $180,000, plus $186,000 for the Harry
Harutunian settlement? Make sure the school officials
fully provide an itemization of where the override money
will go. And do not accept such platitudes like: it’s
“for the children” or “for the police,”
or it’s to keep Cindy Jalbert employed at central
office. Answers that are not specific such as these are
unacceptable.
Be an informed voter and come to the circus at Town
Meeting on May 14th. Bring your cotton candy and enjoy
the Greatest Show on Earth.
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The MAY 2007 Edition of
the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 12,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
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Methuen, Haverhill, Chelmsford, Georgetown, Groveland,
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Salisbury Beach, and Lowell.
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