The Empire Strikes Back...
As noted in Skip's earlier posting, the powers that be, and their frontmen, the Board of Selectmen, have decided to publicly chide the Budget Committee (Budcom) for its use of the data comparison study created by a subcommittee. This is, as you know, a document created BY the Budcom, FOR the Budcom, with data from the state of NH as submitted by the town.
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In their Friday press release, "the selectmen" imply that the data has been "misconstrued" and they they are responding to the Budcom's work stating that they want the "taxpayers to be accurately informed" as if to say the report is somehow innacurate and that the people might be misinformed. Isn't that how the bureacracy always characterizes those who don't tote their line?
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Today's Citizen carries a report on this ongoing back and forth over data between the business as usual crowd and those trying to stabilize Gilford's escalating cost of government.
The selectmen indicate in their statement that the criteria for selecting the comparison towns was inaccurate, leading to inaccurate conclusions.."I just think they don't have the right information. They may be the right numbers, but they are the wrong conclusions," said Selectmen Chair Dennis Doten.
Reasonable people could disagree on this point, and do, for sure. The part that really struck me about the "selectmen's" statement is the part about how they are aware of escalating costs and have attempted to change policies to correct the rise.
The Board of Selectmen is acutely aware of the price of providing highly skilled and dedicated employees to serve the people of this Town and their “guests”. We have implemented several significant policy changes in response to these escalating costs
Message to the "selectmen": April Fools Days comes at the END of winter...
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Anyway, the Citizen story is informative and accurate, except for this last part:
While he is glad to see the selectmen taking on the issue, Lambert said he does not feel it is appropriate for the selectmen to offer comment when the budget committee has not even discussed it with them.
What I said (or meant) was that it was innapropriate to direct comment at the budget committee's use of the data comparison since they haven't been allowed to discuss it yet. While I disagree with what they say, they are free to do so. Besides, the Budcom doesn't really need their input on this matter at this point, until they are asked to provide it.
Comments
Don't cha gettit? The Selectmen are in denial - nothing wrong with the salary structure. The problem is with Skip's hard work.
Maybe we could make it simpler - howabout a $ per resident ratio comparison?
Posted by: Harry Blinn | November 3, 2006 06:41 PM