Letter: Seeing through the Tiverton Taxpayers Association

Posted 4/13/18

Regarding Jeff Caron’s apparent rebuttal letter to the editor, yes I am a union firefighter in another town. The term “firefighter” alone has more integrity in it than your Charter …

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Letter: Seeing through the Tiverton Taxpayers Association

Posted

Regarding Jeff Caron’s apparent rebuttal letter to the editor, yes I am a union firefighter in another town. The term “firefighter” alone has more integrity in it than your Charter Review Commission (CRC) power grab attempt. It’s amazing how, out of one side of the mouth you claim the current Tiverton Town Council is out to get the taxpayer, yet out of the other side you wish to give them more power?

To clarify my appeal to Vision Appraisal, it’s kind of hard not to appeal when they have put an addition on my house that I didn’t know I had! So yes, absolutely I have appealed my assessment and won.

As far as Tiverton taxes are concerned, they are not among the highest in the state. Why can’t you seem to understand that comparing tax rates is like comparing apples to oranges? From services offered, to motor vehicle tax exemptions, and from commercial base to quality of life, you cannot simply compare tax rates — which I actually do believe that you already know, considering it always comes down to the unions with the Tiverton Taxpayers Association (TTA).

And seeing as how you brought the Budget Committee into it, you are correct that we did not cut services. But again you pick and choose the best words to suit your narrative.

The municipal spending is nowhere near an increase of 10 percent, however, and as I apparently need to state again, a large portion of this increase was because of bond payments, the trash contract, health insurance costs, pension obligations, and two new snow plows.

This also includes payments that your Budget Committee last year kicked down the road to this season. With anticipated increases in revenue, this budget actually has a negative percentage decrease. The biggest driver of our tax rate this year is debt obligations, as bond after bond now takes up 20 percent of the municipal budget. These are bonds that the large majority of folks in Tiverton approved.

But seeing as how you like to point out that I am a firefighter, you should know I voted against purchasing a new rescue vehicle at this time. Not that it isn’t needed, but the town council along with the town treasurer are working on a capital improvements plan. I can assure you that I will hold whomever accountable in purchasing a new rescue vehicle as soon as funding is available.

And while we’re on the topic, the firefighters did not receive a single penny of an increase in this budget, as they are going to arbitration. Therefore, you have no merit in calling out my “special interest.” But nice try though.

The large majority of this town is starting to see right through the TTA the more you publish letters. Shall I continue the catch phrase “you can’t have it both ways”?
As for Laura Rom, I guess talking about something as an “example” is not talking about it.

David J Paull

Tiverton

Mr. Paull is a member of the Tiverton Budget Committee.

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