To the Editor:
If you are a resident of Jefferson who is alarmed at the recent increase in your property taxes, vote “yes” on the Jefferson School Committee budget in the Jefferson special election next Tuesday, July 23.
The citizens attending the special town meeting on July 9 voted to cut the school committee budget by $240,000. The budget presented by the school committee was $632,117 over the amount recommended in the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model. Your “yes” vote next week would decrease that excess amount to $392,117.
Some people would have you believe that the budget was increased at the meeting, and that you must vote “no” on it. A “no” vote will cause the budget to revert to the previously proposed budget which is $240,000 higher.
You may recall, on June 4 of this year, the electorate voted “no” on a school committee budget that exceeded the state’s recommendations by over $600,000. Following that vote, instead of lowering the budget and cutting the amount exceeding the state’s recommendations, the school committee proposed a $60,000 increase at the town meeting on July 9.
A “yes” vote will eliminate that $60,000, plus an additional $180,000, saving the town citizens $240,000 in taxes. Again, I urge you to vote “yes” at the Jefferson special election on Tuesday, July 23.
