http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150107/NEWS02/701079944
Panel objects to budget inclusion
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Members of the Springfield Budget Committee are still unhappy about including funds for the Springfield Regional Development Corp. and Springfield On The Move in the town budget.
They renewed their objections Monday to the Springfield Select Board, saying the $30,000 and $20,000 to the two town development groups amounted to a “donation” since the town had no control or say over the two groups’ activities.
Everett Hammond, chairman of the Budget Committee, said the committee was “looking for some kind of control” over the two organizations, and the town funding would be “performance based.”
“What would it be based on?” asked Selectman George McNaughton.
“Performance,” Hammond said.
“How do you measure it?” asked Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson.
Budget committee member Terri Benton said the town should have a “contract” with the two organizations with established performance standards.
But while Benton and Hugh Putnam, another committee member, were critical of the two groups’ lack of progress in bringing jobs and news businesses to the town and downtown area, they ran into strong supporters on the Select Board.
Chairman Kristi Morris and Selectman Peter MacGillivray said the two groups were working, often behind the scenes, to bring business and vitality to town.
Morris, in particular, heatedly rebutted Putnam’s criticism, with a long list of new business development and expansion in the past several years, which included the redevelopment of the old Fellows Gear Shaper complex to the proposed new brewery in the same complex.
But Putnam said the town received “no financials back from them, there’s no accountability.”
Morris said without the designated downtown group, the town would lose its state “downtown designation,” which makes property owners available for tax credits and other benefits.
“I wouldn’t want to lose downtown designation on a bet,” Putnam said.
While the two groups have strong supporters on the Select Board, Selectman David Yesman remains convinced that their town funding should be decided directly by the voters.
Last year, Yesman voted against including funding for the two organizations in the budget, saying the issue should be voted on individually by voters at town meeting, a position supported by the Budget Committee last year.
Yesman said voters have approved funding for the two groups consistently, either when they were still on the ballot, or last year, when they were included in the budget.
Voters, Yesman said, appear to support the two groups regardless, but he still preferred the voters decide.
Bob Flint, the executive director of the Springfield Regional Development Corp., declined to comment on the criticism Tuesday, saying he was making his annual budget presentation to the Select Board tonight.
These two groups should have to petition to be on the ballot for funding, as does every other nonprofit group who receives funding from the voters. This is wrong.
ReplyDeleteFinally, a voice of reason! But naturally there's no affinity for it on the select board!
ReplyDeleteRE: Chairman Kristi Morris and Selectman Peter MacGillivray said the two groups were working, often behind the scenes, to bring business and vitality to town. Morris, in particular, heatedly rebutted Putnam’s criticism, with a long list of new business development and expansion in the past several years, which included the redevelopment of the old Fellows Gear Shaper complex to the proposed new brewery in the same complex.
Are these guys for real? These projects were the result of the tenacity of entrepreneurs. To give either of these freeloading organizations even partial credit for those achievements is preposterous – but typical of the cozy relationship that exists between the board and there “dependents”.
RE: Morris said without the designated downtown group, the town would lose its state “downtown designation,” which makes property owners available for tax credits and other benefits.
ReplyDeleteJudging from the dilapidated state of the "downtown" area, maybe it's time these "tax credits and other benefits" be rescinded in order to motivate the transfer of such properties to more responsible and productive owners.
a principle in a local technology sector firm I can bear witness first hand, neither SRDC or Spfld On The Dole have offered any support. Matter of fact, neither have ever called or visited to learn what obstacles exist to our operations. Reinforcing the point, as you read this, one more technology firm is pulling up stakes here for a move to greener pastures.
ReplyDeleteThere's a distinct reason what this rat hole has become a post apocalyptic welfare state, and self-serving, selfish, incompetent leadership is right at the head of the list. Yet the buffoons on the selectboard embrace the classic definition of insanity by insisting on doing the same thing expecting a different result.
So go ahead and blindly approve the town budget. We wouldn't want to rob the reality mgmt firm, masquerading as SRDC from hording more grant money. Nor do we wish to offend the well-meaning twits at Spfld On The Dole that are so proud of their cute logo.
Want a plan to get behind? Dissolve BOTH SRDC and SOD. Do a nation wide executive search for a PROVEN economic development professional. Then, ride herd on the dept. demanding results as a contract requirement. The people we have now are not leaders. Proof being, at no time have they ever achieved any measure independent success.
just goes to show the select board doesn't care about what the citizens want,maybe we can give more money and they can paint more pretty pictures on all the eyesores in town,maybe we all should vote the budget down,they might get the hint then,but then again they would take the money from some place that needs it
ReplyDeleteWhat are the salaries of the SRDC owners? They own the old manufacturing buildings and the tax payer foots the bill to fix them up. Odd to say the least.
ReplyDelete