Property tax hike depends on vote

As expected, voters have supported two proposals that would raise their property taxes.

At Town Meeting last Saturday, residents overwhelmingly backed a $154,817 Proposition 2 1/2 operating override for the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, as well as a capital exclusion for $113,000 to purchase a highway department truck and for an electrical retrofit for the Buker School as an emergency shelter.

Both had been supported by the town's Finance and Advisory Committee and the Board of Selectmen.

If the measures are supported at the May 17 special election, Wenham's property tax bill could potentially increase 10.97 percent over the current year -- in part because of previous debt exclusions that will make an impact in fiscal year 2008.

"We hope things pass on the 17th as they were passed and approved at Town Meeting," Selectman Peter Hersee said. "I think the schools have gone backwards in the past five years. They've chopped a lot of things, as evidenced by athletic fees being paid 100 percent by the parents."

The school district override must be supported by Hamilton voters, who will also vote next Thursday. At the first night of Hamilton Town Meeting on Monday, residents voted to support the town's portion of the school district override by a unanimous voice vote.

This year, the district is seeking a total of $494,938 from the two towns. Hamilton pays a larger share because it has more students in the district.

Hamilton-Wenham School Superintendent Marinel McGrath anticipates personnel layoffs even if the override passes. During the budget process, approximately $950,000 was cut from a budget that would have only continued the current level of service. The district also revamped its extracurricular activities program.

She anticipated layoffs of 22.6 "full-time equivalent" positions, most of them classroom teachers. McGrath said that since 2001, the district will have eliminated 89.4 positions.

"I've seen how they prepare their budget, and there's no fat there," said Bill Bowler, the Hamilton selectman and member of the Joint Budget Process Committee, composed of representatives of Hamilton, Wenham, and the school district. "It's down to the bone, and about 99 percent of the cuts are in personnel. They have been doing it for five years, and there will be consequences we have to live with."

Hersee noted that the school budgets are impacted by federal mandates largely unfunded by the federal or state government, leaving local districts to support them at the expense of other programs.

"I think the anger belongs with the state and federal government," said Hersee, who said that Representative Brad Hill and Senator Bruce Tarr, the state legislators, have tried to get a larger appropriation from the state.

At the Wenham Town Meeting, the schools' override passed by a 125-5 margin, and the capital exclusion by a 125-1 margin. The 2 1/2 -hour meeting drew 219 registered voters. There was relatively little controversy for any of the proposals on the 16-article warrant, Hersee said.

In fact, considering the potential tax increases, it's been a quiet season, he said. He's only received one call from a concerned citizen, he noted, and, "I'm a pretty accessible guy."

Trudy Reid, director of the Council on Aging and a parent with children in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, said the feedback she's heard from both senior citizens and parents is that many people feel taxes are too high but they may still be willing to support an override.

Based on comments she's heard in the aforementioned roles and as an election registrar, Reid said, she puts little stock in the conventional wisdom that older residents are unwilling to support overrides for schools.

"There are as many parents that will vote 'no' to a school override as there are seniors that will vote 'yes,' " Reid said. "I think it's misunderstood that seniors will always vote 'no' to school overrides. That's a false statement. There are many seniors in town whose children went through the school system, and they want the children of other families in town to get as good an education as their own children did."

Wenham has been historically supportive of Proposition 2 1/2 overrides and exclusions, and one reason why the bite will be felt this year is because of past votes to fund projects beyond the tax levy limit. Notably, the $6,852,000 Town Hall/Police State project was permanently bonded in fiscal year 2007, meaning its full impact will be felt in fiscal year 2008. Also, in September 2006 the town voted in favor of a debt exclusion to support a $1,829,000 project to replace three culverts and other road repairs from the 2006 Mother's Day Flood. The town is anticipating an 80 percent reimbursement for the emergency repairs.

A third Proposition 2 1/2 measure, a debt exclusion for a $540,000 road-and-culvert repair on Essex Street, was passed over without action. The project hadn't gained support from the Finance and Advisory Committee, which among other issues was waiting to be sure that the town would receive the promised reimbursement.