To the editor:

Town Council discussions of changes to the Financial Town Referendum (FTR) and the resulting referenda on the November ballot fail to address the key issue:

Why were the voters denied their power to approve or reject the tax levy proposed by the Committee on Appropriations at the first FTR?

The culmination of the previous Financial Town Meeting (FTM) process or the current FTR process is the authorization of the specific tax levy required to meet the budget. The tax levy is the largest item in the budget, and the taxpayers are responsible for paying it. Accordingly, the Town Charter requires a vote of the registered voters to authorize the tax levy. However, this year the Barrington Town Council did not allow a vote on the proposed 7% tax increase, well over the 4% tax cap. They only allowed votes on a number of small changes to the budget with an unknown impact on the levy.

The Town Council is responsible for implementing voter rights. Candidates for the Council should reveal where they stand on this important issue which affects all of us.

Peter Clifford

Barrington