Category Archives: Uncategorized

Governor announced to us at http://www.MMA.org annual meeting that state funding for education will increase in his budget for next year. Other state local aid will be cut

AOL’s Patch has come to Medfield, with daily on-line news & reviews. It looks like it started over the holidays. http://ping.fm/85O6m

Funny ad to help men to stay out of the doghouse when gifting – http://ping.fm/ejJ5J

Medfield.patch.com (on-line news) is coming to town. Patch is AOL, & it sets up an editor/writer per town. Greg Abazorius does Needham

It’s official ==> DOR accepted Medfield’s tax rate for this FY at $15.02, up from $14.24 in FY10. http://ping.fm/pq2pJ

DCAM offered to test VOC’s at Well 6 (along Charles off Rte 27 – no VOC’s detected on last test in early 2010), given VOC’s detected at MSH

High water bills- Mike Sullivan says 1-the W&S Bd raised rates 15% (1st in 4 years) 2-dry summer & progressive rates http://wp.me/pwOp1-5r

The Board of Selectmen meeting last Tuesday started the FY12 budget planning process for the town, with in attendance all town department heads, the School Committee, and the Assessors.  Excellent presentations of the current lay of the land were made by both Mike Sullivan and Warrant Committee co-chair Mary Alice Whelan.

Upon reflection, what was missed was for the Board of Selectmen to engage the town government’s brain trust on what the town’s general goals should be for this budget season.  There were a lot of smart experienced people in the room, and only two were actually heard.  That was a huge missed opportunity.  The Town of Medfield is facing an uncertain budget year, mainly because the predictions are that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ local aid monies will have to fall by 5-10% if the state is to bridge its $2.2b. budget gap (it was made almost $200m. worse when we repealed the sales tax on alcoholic beverages).  In real numbers for Medfield those predicted cuts in state aid would mean $350,000 to $700,000 less in the town’s budget.  A large portion of the town budget is salaries, and you can do the math to figure out how many jobs it would take to make that up.

Given this situation, there should have been a discussion of what the town government leaders wanted to do to solve that dilemma and an airing of peoples’ thoughts.  Should we craft two budgets, one with and one without an override, and put it to the voters at town meeting?  Is it fair to plan on no pay increases for employees for a second year in a row?

Winslow & Garlick are Medfield’s new Reps. Town votes for Baker, Coakley, Galvin, Polito, Connoughton, Lynch, Morrissey, Bellotti, no ETOH sales tax or 40B, yes for sales tax & marijuana