May 2010 RR

Page 1

The Rehoboth

Reporter

MAY 2010 Volume 22, no. 5

FREE

Serving the Residents of Rehoboth, Seekonk and Surrounding Communities Since 1989

Memorial Day Parade Monday, May 31st 10:00AM. See page 18 for more details

The Annual Town Meeting

Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School Monday, May 24th at 7:30 pm.

Special Town Meeting Friday, May 14, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Clerk’s Office. See page 13 for more details

Summer Sun & Fun Upcoming Day Trips, Camps, & Outdoor Activities

Turn to page 59

Our Opinion

Can You Afford the Price of One Cup of Coffee a Month To Save Rehoboth?

Please read this entire article. Don’t think you know what it says prior to the end, because we guarantee you haven’t heard this before, but it’s important that you do.

Cost to Save Rehoboth’s Budget is Low

The cost of one cup of coffee per household, per month is all it will take to save Rehoboth from being completely turned upside down with draconian budget cuts. These are cuts that will devastate our town. If we want our town to maintain the limited services that we already have and still keep the library open, we need an additional $200,000. To the owner of a $250,000 home, that is approximately $2.50 per month. To the $500,000 household it’s approximately $5.00 per month. But read on to see what is being proposed by the Selectmen and the Finance Committee instead of increasing your taxes by $2.50 per month. Rehoboth is already funding every department at the legal bare minimum. There are specific legal state mandates that the town must meet and any cuts must therefore come from those areas that are not legally required. In our opinion, the town services

not mandated by law are still a very good thing to have – such as the Conservation Department, the Planning Department, the Forestry Department and the Highway Department. None of these are legally mandated, but without them, developers will develop their projects however they want without any oversight; wetlands will be filled in, gravel operations will run rampant, and the roadways will become impassable. Before you stop reading, let us explain exactly what cuts are being put on the table in order to avoid a $200,000 prop 2 ½ override or the use of the stabilization fund – an additional $2.50 on your taxes – the cost of one cup of coffee per month.

Last Year’s Budget Was Cut to The Bone

The Town has already lost a large percentage of its workforce in an effort to reduce costs. Last year the Planning Department continued on page 4


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