The town meeting tonight will have a heavy tilt toward public safety money.
We can only hope that the meeting is not stacked and the vote is decided when people walk through the door. The issue of public safety is far too important to have people grinding their personal axe.
If you can attend, do it. The more people with common sense that are there the better the outcome. The following posts from Kevin Rudden’s blog illustrate in the first case how dangerous a stacked town meeting can be to the town and in the second case that concerns and questions can be reasonable and productive.
"we just like messing with ernie. we were in the same situation last year when the money for fd wages got voted down. ernie had to lay off two full time fire fighters. it will be interesting to see what he does this year. he has no house to clean."
# posted by Anonymous : 4:57 AM
"Some of us don't just like messing with Ernie. We just want to see his spending curbed. He does it with the police department and now he's doing it with the fire department. A good manager knows how to manage his budget and I'm not seeing that with him. The town gives him everything he asks for without question and many of us out here are sick of it. He needs to be held accountable for the increase in spending at the fire department and he needs to explain why he needs to keep coming back every three or four months in Special Town Meeting for more money. When he took over he said that he would reduce the FD budget by 6%. I'm not seeing it. If you go through the Annual Town Reports for 2004 and 2005 and compare the requests for money by the FD in the warrants, you will see a huge difference in the amount of money asked for. Someone has some 'splainin to do and I hope he's ready to do it tonight."
# posted by Anonymous : 5:06 AM
It's raining there is nothing else to do. Be at Miscoe Hill School at 7:00. If not you, who? If not now, when?
Hanging Gardens
27 comments:
Please HG, So its ok for Horn to be 100,000 over buget ?I thought he was going to save us money. All I've heard from the old timers in town is we have to tighten our belts more . Why not start tonight
Funny though when a vote goes against the way you (not you HG just in general) want it, people call it stacking. When it goes they way you do want it the voting base was mobilized. Stacking really just depends on where you stand on a particular issue.
Eric there is no problem with belt tightening. What we don't want to see is a slaughter.
Ask the questions and listen to the answers. Then make up your mind. Don't arrive with an axe.
HG
He signed the contract {with the fulltimers} without having the money to fund it, He should have waited till the new fiscal year when his 71% increase takes place.
Yes Eric, don't use an axe. You will need more because when the Chief is fighting for something he wants he pulls out the guns! We have seen it time and time again. Play it safe Eric, use what ever will take him down!
So what answers were given last night? What happened on the articles?
They all got through, Only 20 something people attended.
Just a question... How is ernie able to be over his budget 2 years in a row? When the BOS was selling the cost savings of one dept manager. When I compared the past town reports and the monies spent I was in awe at how much he has spent or is spending. Eric is right on, the people have the right to vote on the money the dept gets each year on the recommdation of the dept head. When the dept head increases his budget 71% people should question it. DEMAND FISCAL RESPONSIBILTY.
Fire dept only
Budget 04 444,001
Budget 05 537,990
So far 06 around 558,394 and we are not done yet folks
Proposed 07 561,944
How many of us think he'll be under budget next year?
I have no problem paying for xtra training or sending guys to medic school but something here is wrong.
Looking forward to the next STM
Insider, I would just like to add something to what you said. Not only the people should be the one's asking questions but his bosses on the BOS should be going through this thing with a fine tooth comb. Additionally, I think the finance committee should be questioning this and informing the BOS about what is going on. If you are questioning EH hold his direct supervisors accountable as well. Why haven't they pointed out the flaws with their boy Ernie? I would also like to add to what Eric stated very clearly. The first year Ernie took over the police department he stated to the us town folk that by realigning the troops the town would realize a 100k savings to the town. That never materialized either! Ernie's record of being over budget was well known prior to him being appointed to his dual position. If he couldn't manage the police department what were they thinking?
Im sorry I left them out YES the bos should actually be held up to a higher standard than all the town officals...
The BOS signed the conttract with the firefighters, not EH
Actually EH does sign the contract(conttract) with the firefighters as well as the BOS
The BOS did not act alone. EH made recommendations. That is the problem. The BOS does not know enough about running this big business we call Mendon to curb the fluff on its own so it relies on EH for his recommendations. The heart of any big business budget, is payroll and the FD is out of control. This not an EH problem this is a BOS issue. This is not POP'S selling hot dogs. We are talking about millions and BOS, headed by Cutler, knows nothing about budgeting and holding its department heads to it. Any one of us in the private sector would have been fired after the first six months and here BOS/EH is still asking for more.
The BOS should take the State's recommendation to hire a Town Manager that all the Department heads would answer to. The State found there was no accountability in Town Hall. Obviously, Public Safety is out of control when we have to transfer large amounts into the budget on a quarterly basis.
EH did NOT sign the fire contract. Public record, duh
and the BOS made the decision to go to the 48 hour a week schedule; they discussed it with EH, and he made his recommendation, but THEY made the decision
Cutler was on the FinComm when I first moved to town.....you'd think she'd remember how to be fiscally conservative; or is that only when she's plotting and planning to rebuild Town offices elsewhere on land we don't own behind everyone's back.....?
When Sharon ran for office two years ago I recall her saying at Candidates' Night that she would scrutinize the Town's spending/expenditures as if they were her own. Has anyone checked her credit rating lately? She drives town employees crazy (and in some cases to quit) when she insists that they account for every paper clip and square of toilet paper, yet has been one of the loudest proponents of the cash cows that have been proposed in the past two years. This year she is the chair on the BOS. People should be questioning the numerous executive sessions and the empty agendas for the remainder of the selectmen's meetings. "Something is afoot..."
While watching a BOS meeting recently, where Cutler was chair, I perceived Tinio as the one taking charge. It looked as though he was staking a claim to the driver's seat and good for him! Cutler didn't know what to do! Her spotlight was now on the person to her left and no matter what she said, the youngster outshined anything she had to contribute. It looked to me like that meeting was directed in a more focused way than we have seen in decades! Don't get me wrong, I am not sold on Tinio or Breen, but it did look more like a business meeting than a den meeting! Tinio actually talked to the administrator like he was an employee rather than a 4th on the BOS. That is a start!
EH's signature is not on my copy of the fire contract (public record) - how did it get on yours?
Can someone tell me what union the fire dept is with.
thanks
From what I read so far...
Chief Horn did not sign the contract with the Permanent Fire Fighters. The Permanent Fire Fighters signed the contract as did the Board of Selectmen. The Board of Selectmen and Chief Horn recognized the members of the Mendon Permanent Fire Fighters Association as the bargaining unit for contract purposes. The contract begins July 1, 2006, was funded and approved as part of the FD budget at Town meeting.
One more question. Can you find anything that states that the full timers must go to a fire academy.
Thanks
Eric, find anything where? In the contract, rules and regulations of MA Fire marshall's office, where?
Eric, you were a firefighter in Bellingham, you should know where to find out this info. Please enlighten us!
From what I read so far...
Chief Horn did not sign the contract with the Permanent Fire Fighters. The Permanent Fire Fighters signed the contract as did the Board of Selectmen. The Board of Selectmen and Chief Horn recognized the members of the Mendon Permanent Fire Fighters Association as the bargaining unit for contract purposes. The contract begins July 1, 2006, was funded and approved as part of the FD budget at Town meeting.
I thought someone posting had a copy of the contract, Thats where you would find it.
Still waiting on those academy dates boys.
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