Many recent letters to the editor by members of your elected Tiverton Charter Review Commission (CRC), elucidating the CRC positions on protecting your Financial Town Referendum (FTR), and preserving projected casino gaming revenue for the reduction of your taxes, have been necessary to address threats to both by various town proposals put forth by Councilman Edwards (to abolish the FTR and the Budget Committee and to have the Town Council in charge of the budget) and Councilwoman Hilton (to eliminate the remand option for an elector petition, and to increase the signatures necessary for an elector petition).

Even with these threats, your elected CRC is charging onward with additional taxpayer-friendly proposals.
One such proposal would amend the charter with language that establishes a cap on tax levy increases by requiring an explicit affirmative four-fifths majority vote of the full membership of the Budget Committee prior to its recommending a tax levy increase greater than 2 percent of the prior year amount.

Another proposal would create a new charter section that would require labor union members, their spouses, family members, or business associates, if serving on the Town Council, School Committee or Budget Committee, to recuse themselves from votes on financial matters which involve a town unionized employee from the same union, even if from a different local of that union.

These proposals are representative of the careful, thoughtful and hard work of your elected CRC to improve your town charter by addressing matters that have had an adverse effect on the taxpayers’ wallets. The CRC’s focus is to provide much needed relief for the Tiverton taxpayer by language that limits tax increases, curbs government excesses, and increases both government transparency and accountability.

To date the CRC has held two public hearings covering some of these proposals and will be holding more public hearings on all its proposals prior to balloting in November for approval by Tiverton voters. Your participation and input at these public hearings, which are all announced in advance, is greatly sought and appreciated.

Nancy L. Driggs

Tiverton

Ms. Driggs is a member of the Tiverton Charter Review Commission.