Councilors are winding down on this years 2010 budgets and at this point we await the publics input into the budget this Thursday at Municipal Center 3rd floor meeting room. We as a council as of this writing are .24 cents UNDER last years budget. The big question will be will that number be the final number or will some councilors go on a spending spree?
I am on record as stating that I would like to give that .24 cents/1000 of assessed value, BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS!
What will this mean for the average home owner in Derry. The home owner with an assessed value of $250,000 would pay $60 less property taxes this year vs. last year. ( yes virginia there is a santa clause! ).
$60 Sixty Dollars is a big savings! But hold on ! I need to get 3 more Councilors on board. Easy you may say? We shall see.
You need to pay close attention to the next few budget meetings to see if this can be accomplished and which councilors may agree with me.
Of course, my regular political opponets will not say one nice thing about my thoughts here because, well because they would have nothing to pick-on would they.
Most want to focus on the Negative and its pure politics and I understand that.
So, what are your thoughts?
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28 comments:
This blog no longer matters if you tried to have a citizen fired. We want to know the truth Brian.
Brian your math needs some work.
A 24 cents per $1,000 savings on a $250,000 house only equates to $60 in savings - not $600.
$250,000/$1,000= 250 x .24 = $60
I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that this was a simple mistake.
Not to highjack your blog BC but I feel I need to update your readers as I promised I would. I'm the person who was being sued by the Town of Derry for a $50 balance on an ambulance bill dating back to March of 2003.
I WON!
The case was dismissed based on the 3 year statute of limitations, NH RSA 508:4. Not only did the town lose out on the $50, it cost them $60 to sue me, not to mention the time they spent trying to bring this case to court. This is the same case that Mr. Childs, Mr. Stenhouse and other members of the finance department denied that it existed during the public budget meeting held on April 16th.
The taxpayers in Derry fund 100% of the fire and ambulance service, yet if you use the service, you are charged 100's of dollars. I can understand billing an insurance company for reimbursement because you can. But to sue a taxpayer for a small balance is absurd. Does the fire department send you a bill if your house catches on fire and they come to put it out?
To Mr. Benson - you say the town should sue anyone who owes them money, for any amount. I pay all my bills on time, including my property taxes, do you? Do you wait 6 years to collect past due amounts for your business? I bet not. Had the town contacted me back in 2003 when I asked them to, none of this would have happened.
For now I will remain anonymous so you don't try to contact my boss and have me fired for fighting back.
I like your idea of a rebate, but wouldn't a rebate mean sending me a check? Lowering my taxes is great, but it's not a rebate.
anon 9:41,
You are correct. I made a mistake and will correct it
anon 9:15,
Its not true..please don't judge till the truth comes out.
anon 10:25,
you right technically however if you have you taxes escrowed, you will indeed receive a check back at the end of the year. And many people pay their taxes this way.
Well then Brian, what is the truth about Rose? You asked us to wait for the so called truth. What is it?
BC
You may think you are right that we would get a refund from the escrow, but since you voted to give those unions raises, my property taxes will be going up at least $600. So I won't be getting any money back, I have to INCREASE the amount I put into my escrow to cover the higher taxes. Thanks for looking out for us, not!
Brian
If you did nothing wrong, why did you call and apologize to the woman that was threatened with losing her job? I have to give you credit though, at least you had the guts to look at the people who were talking during the public forum. Mr. Benson is a coward. He did not look up at all. He looks like he thinks he is better than the common folk and couldn't be bothered with anything they have to say. Guess he didn't sign up for that part of being a town councilor. Maybe it's time he should go.
If any Derry taxpayers out there used the ambulance over 3 years ago and they try to sue you, never admit you owe the money. You too can beat it if it's been more than 3 years. Don't let the threats get to you. Do your research!
This is to anon 10:24 it is deadbeats like you that have made our economy the way it is. Pay your bills you used the service and was billed for it. The Town charges for Ambulance service supported by taxes or not the charges offset the taxes. I pay enough in taxes and do not need to support you so PAY YOUR BILLS and stop wasting the Towns time. DEADBEAT
Jack Dowd, what can one say?
Jack, respect is earned. The unfounded arrogance you clearly placed on display last night as you shamelessly blamed the council for YOUR failure will hopefully be your last public faux pas to cap a long career of them.
Jack, maybe you should consider whether it is your 5'7" tough-guy demeanor that better explains why the DEDC has floundered. Better yet, maybe the BOD of the DEDC should finally consider this reality about good ole Jackie and take the long overdue measures that at a minimum will cast the organization in a more credible light.
Straight out, Jack long ago wore out his welcome. He should be man enough to realize his limitations and let someone more qualified within the organization take the lead.
The end appears near for the current DEDC now that it's on salvage therapy and life support. Unless the DEDC BOD stands up for itself and moves on this personnel change, your only hope to reignite public confidence and hence funding would have been squandered.
Anon 12:13, Brad Benson IS common folk, nothing more.
He never looks up because he realizes he failed to keep his mouth in check.
Very common of him indeed.
Well, 6/5/09 10:24 AM are you looking for a pat on the back for 'screwing' the Derry Taxpayer out of the funds that it took to process your bill? What if 'everyone' had your attitude and just said hey, why should I be a responsible person and pay for 'services rendered! This is just another example of the twisted thinking of a Derry resident who feels they beat the system! My suggestion to you is to stay anonymous, but oh, I'm sure you'll find yourself at a council meeting seeking your 3 minutes of fame.You've come so close exposing yourself on this blog!
BC,
How can I get my 60.00 bucks faster ? My news paper I deliver maybe shutting down.The Boston Globe employees want guaranteed lifetime employment clause to stay in thier contract and the union wants it to stay but owners say take it out.
Seems like we are not the only fools alowing this to happen.
I only hope Derry dosen't go by-by like the Boston Globe because we have costly clauses and step systems.
What ever happen to earning your keep instead of a bunch of mobsters presuring the town.OH come on , now your gonna tell me union folks are a bunch of NUNS.
Brian,
What other options would there be for the approximate $60 savings?
It is taxpayer money, and in my honest opinion should be returned to the taxpayers without question.
I would be truly amazed if Ms. Fairbanks would not support this, as her platform - to the best of my knowledge - has been to speak out for her constituents, and I speculate they want their money back in their own pocket!
I have credited Mr. Carney with being a fair councilor to date, and again would find it odd that he would shy away from returning taxpayer money to the citizens of Derry.
This leaves only Mr. Coyle, a complete enigma. It would not shock me at all to find him wanting to invest the savings (aka our money) into some misguided perpetual care project like the bike path, while complaining about the wasteful spending of federal grants (aka our money) on another project he doesn't support.
I strongly support you making the motion to return the $60 to the taxpayers, and I suspect a 6-1 vote in the affirmative to make it happen!
Of course this assumes that the three listed above are the ones you will need to convince to return our money, is that the correct assumption?
Anon 10:24..
So you got off of paying what you owed due to a technicality. Had you simply paid the bill when you got it back in 200whatever, the town never would have had to have paid the money to fight you in court.
In my mind, you owe the town $110 for it's troubles.
You're disgusting.
Deadbeat?
Call me what you want, I can take it. I understand how you are upset because I didn't pay a $50 balance for ambulance services back in 2003. Funny how you are not upset at the finance department in town for wasting $60 in court filing fees for a claim almost 6 years old that they should have known was beyond the statue of limitations, 3 years past. I see a failure in the finance department, yet it's my fault the town lost the case and is out $110. If the town had contacted me when I asked, or provided me with a detailed invoice when I asked, none of this would have happened. They need to learn how to run a billing department and deal with clients who have questions. It’s not that hard and gets you a lot farther than just ignoring them. You should have been in court, it was comical how unprepared the towns' controller was. After all, she denied that this case even existed to the council when asked.
As for the other comment about "screwing" the taxpayers by not paying, well I too am a taxpayer. And as a taxpayer I will not just follow a bully pulpit and do what they say without an explanation. Thanks for the idea of speaking at a council meeting, maybe I will if they don't take away my right to speak. Here's an idea, the council is always looking for someone to speak favorably about them so I suggest you go tell them what a good job they are doing and thank them for doing their due diligence in protecting the high taxes we all pay. If I do end up putting my name on this in the future, what are your plans? Are you going to come after me, or do as some town councilors do, threaten to call my boss and get me fired? The loss from me to the town was $50, the incompetence of the towns finance dept cost $60+, so you take your anger out on me. They failed you, not me.
I can tell you both feel that the Town of Derry can do no wrong and we should just act like dogs with our tail between our legs. I took a stand for something I felt was right and a Judge agreed. Done
Regarding the hundreds or thousands spent to (or fail to) collect $50, can someone give me the logic behind taxpayers paying twice for Derry's ambulance service? We pay these guys' salaries and then we are asked for more $$$ when they provide the service. Time to privatize.
Also I have heard that, in the case in point, the town charged for "advanced life support" when all they did was put a blood pressure cuff on the patient. Isn't that fraud? And since the invoice was mailed I think that is mail-fraud. Anyone out there with a legal degree who can tell me if I'm right?
Finally 1:50, it wasn't a technicality, it was the LAW. A private ambulance service would know the law and how to collect. I believe our firefighters are expert at firefighting. At running a business...not so much.
I know a perfect way the Town could get out of its financial difficulties that many on this blog would agree with based on past opinions expressed.
The Town should start charging everyone who uses any of the following services:
Transfer Station.. $5 per bag of trash (the town has to pay to get rid of your trash and pay staff)
Library.. $2 dollars per hour for research and $2 per book checked out (books cost money, lights, cleaning & staff)
Parks.. $5 for admission for everybody (grass mowed, trash picked up)
Town Hall.. $10 entrance fee ( cost of that beautiful building, staff, electricity, etc)
Snow plowing.. $100 per household (trucks, maintenance , staff, sand, salt, gas, etc)
I'm sure there are many more money making opportunities that I may have missed but you get the idea. If this idea is put into place the Town wouldn't have to lay off anyone, in fact they can hire more. They could also fund the DEDC, exit 4A and fix all the roads.
The school district could also adopt this same idea and charge each student a fee to attend classes. Think of how much better we could make our great schools and lower class size, it's for the children!
But wait, some of you might say that we already pay for these services through our taxes, we do. Maybe it's not such a good idea.
If it's good enough for the Fire Department to double charge the taxpayers, why not all the other departments in town. Do any of you see the hypocrisy in your statements about the ambulance service? Is anyone out there aware that the FD has collected excess money from the ambulance billings that the Town is using that money to fill holes in the general budget? The FD is not using the excess money to lower our taxes or fix equipment, it's being passed on to other departments.
I agree with the other poster that says we should privatize the ambulance service. The taxpayers would have lower taxes and then that private ambulance company would have to deal with the billing and collecting money owed from those who use it. And also by going private, the Town would not have to waste its time and money going to court to collect from those deadbeats who refuse to pay.
Brian, please help in making the Town adopt the above fees for services provided or help us get the ambulance private. It will be for the common good of all.
So let me get this striaght, I pay my property taxes in this town so that means that I shouldnt have to pay another fee for my childs recreational activites like baseball, teeball, soccer, etc. I guess that means I shouldnt have to pay for a sticker to go swim at beaver lake. When I go to the dump I should be able to dump what ever I want there with out an extra charge. If I get a speeding ticket I shouldnt have to pay that either, right because I pay my taxes. I shouldnt have to pay for late books at the libary either, Right? I pay for health insurrance so I shouldnt have to pay for co-pays either when i vist the doctor or pharmacy. Hell we should just privatize everything. This system is great, you people make so much scense. I hope your running for town councilor some day....
It might have been .25 cents saved if that smuck payed his bills.
just think if everybody thought like he did. Think your taxes are high now? Do the right thing and pay the $50.00 bill you used the service now pay for it!!!!!!!
To the deadbeat who didn't pay their ambulance bill: As everyone knows, all one has to do is file a 91A request to find out who you are. Be proud of yourself and make sure that you tell your kid how to screw the system when they get older. To the hero out there that is always yelling to privatize the ambulance service: You don't happen to be an ex member of the department do you? I think that you might be mis or un informed. Needless to say, you don't know what you are talking about! I would love to know how you would know what an ALS or BLS call is. The truth is that you don't. If you knew what you were talking about, you would know that a firefighter doesn't do the billing! Hummm....
Anoyone with half a clue knows that revenue goes directly to the general fund.
Neither the FD nor any other department has the ability to spend their revenue how they'd like to.
The town's adminstration decides how to use it.
10:45 No I'm not a former firefighter. I have never been employed by any government. I have no idea what an ALS or BLS call is and have very little interest in learning that trivia.
You have missed my point. The ambulance service in town has been and will continue to be mismanaged because no one is incented to manage it correctly. This is the nature of public enterprises.
anon 12:03,
Sorry but you are wrong. The savings comes to you After the approved contracts.They were already built into the personal budget lines. So this .24/1000 savings is AFTER those costs are built in...Hope that makes you feel a little better now.
BC Please tell us what impact the school budget will have on your "rebate". As a political figure in town you are very quiet about what is going on over there. Professional courtesy?
Having worked to get the municipal budget under some constraint, what advice can you give us about the school budget?
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