Thursday, November 29, 2007

Tax Hearing Q&A - 4

Councilor McGann asks a question on the split tax rate scenarios

Time: 2 minutes, 0 seconds



MP3 File

Town Council Meeting 11/28/07 Summary

In chronological order of the meeting itself, my live postings with the audio sections and the newspaper coverage that corresponds.


Board of Assessors presentation (audio)

Questions on senior participation in deferments (Pfeffer, McGann) (audio)

Mason's question on single rate rationale
(audio)

Doak's initial questions (audio)

McGann's question on split tax rate scenarios (audio)

Zollo gets to the point (audio)

This is a deceptive piece of information (Pfeffer)

This is deceptive (Pfeffer) (audio)

Chairman Feeley has his turn (audio)

Can you recast this spreadsheet? (Whalen)
Nutting's proposal on determining the assessed vs. sale valuations

Can you recast this spreadsheet? (Whalen) (audio)

Councilor Vallee clarifies the potential tax rates (audio)

Councilor Doak clarifies 2007 sales and assessment valuations (audio)

Councilor McGann asks what is the distribution of split vs. single tax rates in MA (audio)

LeBlanc's presentation on the assessed valuations
LeBlanc's handouts (two spreadsheets)

Michael Leblanc's analysis of the assessment issue (audio)

Doak follow up question for LeBlanc (audio)

Zollo statement on assessment problem (audio)

Whalen statement on assessment problem (audio)

Franklin needs to be competitive with India as well as Indiana (M Doherty)
M Doherty comment (audio)

T Fleming comment (audio)

D Collier (?) comment (audio)

caution you to use the information he has provided carefully
K Norman comment (audio)

J Curran comment (audio)

Jeff Nutting reviews the proposal for the Town Council to change the allocation of the Hotel Tax
Jeff Nutting (audio)

Historical Commission representative reads statement (audio)

Whalen, Nutting, Bartlett (audio)

McGann, Nutting, Roche (audio)

Doak, Zollo, Roche (audio)

Pfeffer (audio)

Susan Spears (audio)

Dave Collier (?) (audio)

Michael LeBlanc, Lisa Piana, Carol Harpin (audio)

McGann, Nutting, Roche (audio)

Zollo (audio)

Jane Curran, Eileen Mason, Lynn Narron (audio)

Motion to allocate the Hotel/Motel Tax per Nutting recommendation to next agenda

Doak, Bartlett, Nutting, Feeley, McGann and vote (audio)

Deficit in FY 09 will be far greater than FY 08 per Nutting (audio)

Motion to balance the discovered discrepancy in the School budget for FY 07 with transfer of $590,000 from stabilization


Milford Daily News coverage

Tax Hearing Q&A - 3

Councilor Doak's initial questions during the tax hearing

Time: 4 minutes, 46 seconds



MP3 File

Tax Hearing Q&A - 2

Councilor Mason's question on the reasoning for the single tax rate and not the split tax rate. DiBaggis and Norman reply.

Time: 4 minutes, 6 seconds



MP3 File

credibility of the town's government had once again taken a hit

From Michael Morton's article in the Milford Daily News:

Faced with a recently discovered $590,000 school funding gap, councilors voted last night to plug the hole with money from the town's savings account.

Although the Finance Committee recommended that the schools be held accountable by giving up $290,000 from their budget, and taking $300,000 from the fiscal stabilization fund, the council decided that it did not yet have enough information to assign responsibility.


Read the full article here recapping the Town Council meeting of 11/28/07.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Tax Hearing Q&A

Councilors Pfeffer and McGann with their initial questions on how many seniors apply for deferments for tax relief.

Time: 2 minutes, 14 seconds



MP3 File

live blogging - Town Council Meeting 11/28/07

Motion to balance the discovered discrepancy in the School budget for FY 07 with transfer of $590,000 from stabilization.

The auditors are scheduled to come to the Town Council at a future meeting to address the problem and make recommendations.

Role call -> 9-0 motion passed

Live blogging -Town Council meeting 11/28/07

Deficit in FY 09 will be far greater than FY 08 per Nutting.

Live blogging - Town Council Meeting 11/28/07

Motion to allocate the Hotel/Motel Tax per Nutting recommendation to next agenda.

Passed 7-2.

Live blogging - Town Council Meeting 11/28/07

place holder for additional recorded citizens comment