Eastham voters approve $44 million budget, hiring two police officers
EASTHAM — After no small amount of discussion, voters approved a hefty $44,180,055 operating budget at a chilly Town Meeting on Saturday. It was the first of many articles that brought voters to the microphones set up in the football field at Nauset Regional High School.
The budget represents a 14.26% increase from last year, an increase based mainly on education costs. Special education costs for out-of-district placements are going to cost $335,000, and Eastham student enrollment increases will cost another $600,000. The school budget itself came in larger than forecast to the tune of $85,000.
The increase brought several speakers to the microphones, citing the huge increase in taxes the measure would mean, especially for elderly and those living on fixed incomes. Resident Ian Drake took to the mic to push back on Town Manager Jacqueline Beebe's comment that Eastham enjoyed one of the lowest tax rates on the Cape.
""That's like saying we're the skinniest pig at the slaughter," Drake said. "We're all getting slaughtered."
The proposed budget and education override would increase real estate taxes for the median valued home to $5,642, a 14% increase according to the warrant.
An article to pay for the hiring of two additional police officers passed more handily, even though there were several speakers who asked to postpone the article until next year to lessen the tax increases. Should the override pass at town election it will raise taxes about $44 for a median valued home.
Residents had their say on whether they wanted to pass a specialized energy code (passed), prohibitions related to short-term rentals of residential properties (passed), swap land with the Cape Cod National Seashore (passed), and a home rule petition regarding pesticide reduction (passed).
The temperatures, light wind and clouds did not deter people in winter coats and hats to get up to speak. But with each passing hour and article, people left.
The recommendations by the Community Preservation Committee were subject to thoughtful discussion, including motions to amend. All nine articles passed eventually.
Voters will need to pass two overrides at town election. The first will be for the operating budget. Should that override fail, the town will need to make cuts in the municipal budget to make up for the $1,020,000 deficit. An alternative would be to used short term rental tax proceeds to make up the shortfall, an option that no one on the Select Board or Finance Committee approved.
The Town Election will be on May 21.
WARRANT ARTICLE NUMBER | WHAT IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT? | PASSED, FAILED, POSTPONED |
|---|---|---|
2A | A $44,180,055 general fund operating budget that is 14.26% higher than last year | Passed by a vote of 235-56 after considerable discussion |
2D | Additional staffing for police department that would cost $300,000 for two additional officers. This would also require a proposition 2 1/2 override | Passed by a vote of 277-25. |
5A | Specialized Energy Code that would apply to all new construction in the town. | Passed after question was called by vote of 187-89 |
5D | Amend a town bylaw to limit the number of short-term rentals to two units per owner, unless someone already owns more than two units | There was much discussion, including what would happen to an owner who wanted to pass a property on to children. |
6 | Home rule petition regarding pesticide reduction | This article generated enough discussion that eventually a voter called the question. The article passed 167-57 |
8 A,B,C | Community Preservation articles on revenue, funding a cape housing institute and preserving 580 Massasoit Road were combined. | passed |
8 E, F, H, I | Skate Park, playground updates, trail extension and community housing reserve passed quickly. | passed |
8G | Appropriate $447,200 to reconstruct North Wing of the Old Schoolhouse Museum. | There were calls to remove $246,752 from the total, which did not pass. Eventually the article passed |
Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting the Cape’s residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com .
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Budget, hiring, bylaw prohibitions, petition bring out Eastham voters
