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Winchester Democrats Support Troops and Charter Change
By Steven A. Sedlack, Winsted
Winchester Democrats acted on two important resolutions at the monthly meeting of the Democratic Town Committee on March 10.
First, the committee discussed the pending war in the Middle East. Many Democrats across the land, including members of the town committee, oppose the policy of the Bush administration for a preemptive war on Iraq. However, the members of the town committee felt it was important to send the message to our men and women in the military that we support them. We understand that these men and women and their families make tremendous sacrifices to keep us safe and free. Therefore, the town committee resolved that it "… recognizes, appreciates, and supports those men and women (in the military) and will begin each of its meetings with a moment of silent reflection in their honor."
A second resolution commits the town committee to support the recommendations of the town's Charter Revision Commission. Members of the committee discussed and appreciate our representative form of government and believe that citizens and taxpayers should have the final say on adopting a budget. We also believe that the greatest number of people should have that decision-making authority and that this is best accomplished by a day-long referendum. The suggested charter change allows all of that to occur. What it will not allow is for small groups of citizens to cut the budget line by line at the annual town budget meeting.
Actions at the previous two town budget meetings offer evidence for why this is a good idea. Last May, 273 people attended the annual town budget meeting. That number represents 4.1% of the 6,713 voters in town. After those present rejected a motion to cut almost one million dollars from the education budget, a citizen rose and moved to cut every line item in the budget by 2%. Luckily, there were some in attendance who realized that the town could not legally cut from each and every budget line. For example, debt service has to be honored. The motion failed.
At the referendum several weeks later, 1,714 voters (25.5%) told the selectmen in no uncertain terms that the budget was too high and needed to be reduced. The selectmen reduced the budget by $534,000, including $460,000 from the education budget, but voters never got to act on this proposal in a referendum.
The reconvened budget meeting in late June took care of that. This time 122 people (1.8% of the town's voters) attended. It was here that a more obvious example of problems caused by uninformed citizen action occurred. First a motion to reduce each line except debt service, revenue, and education by 2.5% was presented. This motion passed 76-46. Then, a motion to eliminate two items was made. A total of $706,875 was thus eliminated from an Education Capital Improvement Fund and a Town Capital Improvement Fund (77 people—or 1.2% of the town's voters—voted YES). This was money which came to the town from the Anthem demutualization process. Only a handful of persons present that evening truly understood the impact of taking that action. We were blinded by the possibility for a tax cut and not looking to the future. Now the town and the school department have identified much-needed repairs and will face bonding. It is now a mystery as to where that Anthem money is or how it will be used, if at all.
This all suggests that the final amount of the town budget needs to be approved by the greatest number of citizens, and not by a small number influenced by the emotions of debate in the town meeting setting. Members of the Winchester Democratic Town Committee support this concept and urge citizens and taxpayers to do the same when the charter change is presented for a vote.
Steven A. Sedlack is Chairman of the Winchester Democratic Town Committee.
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