To the editor:

Eliminating the Financial Town Referendum (FTR) and perhaps the Budget Committee represents flawed thinking and does not align with the facts and recent history of Tiverton.

From 2002 to 2012, when Tiverton had a Financial Town Meeting (FTM) which adopted budgets and approved taxation, Tiverton’s total budget and tax levy nearly doubled!

Think about that — did your wages and income double over that same time frame? I know mine didn’t and neither did most of the people I know. That means we are all the poorer for that budgeting process and Tiverton has been put in a less competitive position relative to our neighboring towns.

Fortunately, far sighted citizens of Tiverton conceived of a better way to budget for Tiverton’s needs, and developed the FTR. From its inception in 2011 to date, the FTR process has resulted in a total tax levy increase of only 7.3% (six years) vs. the prior process of nearly doubling (100% over ten years). Clearly the FTR has produced fair and responsible results and has headed Tiverton into a more affordable and competitive direction.

The FTR process is purely democratic — it allows each taxpayer to directly participate on a secret ballot and decide how our limited taxpayer dollars are spent. We no longer have a small group of voters at an FTM or a small group of public servants making critical budget decisions for all taxpayers. The FTR lets the taxpayers decide for themselves what they believe is in the best interest of Tiverton.

Tiverton residents are fair minded and generous, but we all need to be able to afford the town we live in and enjoy. Think of all the things linked to our tax affordability: The opportunity for our children to live in the town they grew up in and love, the ability to sell our homes when the time is right for us, the ability of seniors to stay in their lifelong homes, and the ability for younger families to afford a Tiverton home (mortgage plus taxes).

The FTR is an effective tool which allows Tiverton to manage its budget needs with a sharp pencil. Like any process it can be improved, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater because some people want to experiment with a new or different process. We should stay with what works and offers the proven ability to cost effectively address fiscal challenges as our town continues to grow. In the last six years, Tiverton has become more competitive, but there is still much to do as we are still the highest taxed community in our neighborhood. Keeping the FTR is our best way to become even more competitive and provide fair and responsible taxes for all.

William Lopes

Tiverton

Candidate for the Tiverton Charter Review Commission.