Yes for Brookline
ON MAY 6, Brookline voters will decide whether to pass one of two property tax overrides - for $5.4 million or $6.2 million. It's a tough decision. On the one hand, the town needs the money to protect services and invest in schools. But residents are already grappling with the high cost of taxes, food, and gas. Still, the advantages outweigh the costs. Voters should at a minimum approve the smaller of the two overrides.
Brookline is a worthy investment. It has good schools and a unique mix of urban and suburban amenities. The $5.4 million override would help cover a structural deficit in the town's 2009 budget; fund capital and maintenance costs; and pay for a longer school day. The $6.2 million proposal would do all this and add a K-6 world language program. Preparing children for a bilingual future is important, but may have to wait until the economy stabilizes.
Other needs are compelling. The current high school day isn't long enough to meet state requirements. One poor outcome is that electives and science labs are scheduled simultaneously, so students have to skip the elective class to go to a weekly lab.
The town's Override Study Committee examined the town's books and didn't find excesses. Override dollars should be well used: not to cover mismanagement, but to weather the budget crunch that all the state's municipalities face.
Opponents say voters should reject this override, then press the town for a smaller override in November. Vince McGugan, a businessman who served on the study committee, argues that a $3.6 million override would cover the 2009 structural deficit and maintenance needs.
But that leaves out too many school needs in a town that values education. And on a per-household basis the difference isn't overwhelming. The study committee estimates that for single-family homes assessed at Brookline's median value of $987,000, the $8,437 tax bill would go up by roughly $224 with the $3.6 million override McGugan suggests, and $334 with the $5.4 million plan. That difference of $110 a year is less than the cost of a
Brookline still has work to do. Even if an override passes, it won't address a projected structural deficit of $11 million by 2013. To do this, the town will have to make cuts and generate new revenue. The study committee calls for sound moves such as shifting town employees to the state's Group Insurance Commission, restricting hiring, and saving for the future healthcare costs of retirees.
Passing an override now would give Brookline time to make the long-term cuts that will secure its future. 