Another call for tax hike on ballot

$1.5m proposal set for May 6 vote

Even though they have rejected every request for a Proposition 2 1/2 override put before them, Shrewsbury voters will again be asked to approve a $1.5 million proposal that would eliminate some school fees and potentially save jobs.

The call for the tax increase is slated for the May 6 town ballot.

Last May, a $5 million override was narrowly rejected, 5,568 to 5,160, in an election that drew 52 percent of Shrewsbury's registered voters. In 2004 and 2005, overrides were rejected by large margins. The town has never approved raising taxes by overriding Proposition 2 1/2, a state law that limits annual increases to 2.5 percent of a community's total tax levy.

Opponents of the proposal say that many Shrewsbury residents are already too cash-strapped to pay more in property taxes. Proponents say the town has stretched as far as possible and the budget needs a break.

"People are losing their jobs and fighting to keep their homes," said Benjamin Tartaglia, one of the founders of a group opposing the override, Seniors for Responsible Taxation. "The average citizen has very high heating bills and utility bills. Everything's gone sky high." Shrewsbury saw a jump in foreclosures on single-family homes last year, with nine properties lost due to unpaid mortgages, compared with just one in 2006, according to data collected by the Globe.

In addition, Tartaglia pointed out, a trash fee is expected to go into effect in early August, with residents paying 75 cents for a small trash bag and $1.50 for a large trash bag collected at the curb. Recyclable goods put out separately would be collected without charge, allowing residents to save money by sorting their trash.

The proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 is $95.7 million, a 6.9 percent increase over this year's budget of $89.5 million. The tax rate of $9.14 would increase to $9.44 without the override and to $9.74 with the override, according to town figures. On a single-family home assessed at $400,000, the annual tax bill would be $3,776 without the override or $3,896 with the override, a difference of $120.

Details about where the $1.5 million would go are expected to be discussed during the Finance Committee meeting tonight at 7 in Town Hall.

Roughly one-third of the amount has been earmarked for reducing school fees, which have been imposed in recent years for athletics, extracurricular activities, and busing, according to Deborah Peeples, chairwoman of the School Committee.

"It's not unusual for high school parents to be paying upwards of $1,200," she said. "And that could be for one child."

The override would not eliminate fees, but could reduce them significantly, said Peeples. Tonight's meeting is expected to yield more information about how the remaining $1 million would be distributed among town departments and the schools.

If the override fails, she said, teaching positions would probably be eliminated through some combination of attrition and layoffs.

"We have eliminated absolutely everything else that can be cut," said Peeples.

"I think at some point people will understand the need and they'll appreciate the fact we are in the bottom 10 percent of the state for spending. We cannot continue to get the excellent results we get for children if we continue to whittle away at programs."

According to the state Department of Education website, Shrewsbury's per-pupil expenditure for 2006 was $8,848, compared with the statewide average of $11,210.

"I hope at some point, the community will start to evaluate education more than it has and at some point the community will appreciate the fact we're doing a tremendous amount with very, very little," said Peeples. "I hope that's this year."

Since the override was only recently announced, there was little evidence so far of the fierce campaigns that were organized by both sides last spring.

Citizens for a Better Shrewsbury was formed in 2006 after selectmen did not put an override on the ballot, and the group campaigned in favor of last year's proposal. The group had not met to discuss the current request, according to Judy Vedder, a member of its executive board.

"Obviously this year the need is still there," she said, emphasizing that she was speaking for herself, rather than the entire group.

"It's clear we've already had program cuts on the school side, and on the municipal side they're running extremely lean. This year the cuts will be broader and deeper if the override doesn't pass."

Lisa Kocian can be reached at lkocian@globe.com.