http://eagletimes.villagesoup.com/p/we-must-limit-property-taxes-to-grow-town/1299892
We must limit property taxes to grow town
Feb 02, 2015
To the Editor:
My name is Walter Martone and I am running for the Springfield Board of Selectmen. My message is pretty simple: I recognize that this town is full of potential. Some great stuff is going on, and the future can be better. But, we’ve reached a point where we absolutely must find a way to limit property taxes so that we can reduce the financial burden on our residents, grow our economy, and help increase property values.
What to do? First, we must develop a shared vision of what our town will look like in the future, and a plan for achieving that vision. Springfield has one of the highest property tax rates in the state. Our plan cannot rely on property tax increases, but must include serious economic development to expand the tax base and reduce the burden on homeowners. There are many important projects in the works and we need to support them. We need to grow in a way that is consistent with our values, and with the quality of life we want for ourselves and future generations.
Second, we must explore new ways of delivering municipal services. We want and expect high quality services but, at this point, we are struggling to maintain even the basics. Our infrastructure and critical town improvements have been falling behind for years. Springfield is the smallest full-service towns in the state. We need to work more closely with neighboring communities. We need to explore with them ideas about service delivery, and partner with them to find more cost effective ways of providing quality services.
I believe I have the qualifications to serve you well as a selectman. I am retired from a 35 year career in local government. In my last position I was deputy director of a large county public works department. I have also served as a facilitator and organizational development consultant for governments and non-profits. Throughout my career I’ve been responsible for the development and implementation of complex, multi-million dollar budgets. Springfield is great place, and together we can make it better. I would be honored to serve as your selectman.
Walter Martone
Springfield
Mr, Martone, you have my vote.
ReplyDeleteHe also has my vote.
DeleteI think Walt is the breath of fresh air that we need on our stagnant board of selectmen. He is open to exploring out of the box ideas to maintain services and lower the tax rate. That is something we don't get from our current board
ReplyDeleteWe have the same old people that helped to take this town under in the first place.
Lower the property tax rate and property values will increase. Increase in values, less foreclosures, values will increase more, lower taxes, people will have more money to spend. More investment into the town.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Walter...
I've been unable to find a source which proves that property values increase when property taxes are reduced. Could you cite one? Thanks.
DeleteYou'd get my vote Walter.
ReplyDeleteWho else is running?
ReplyDeleteMy question for the candidate is what part of the budget do you want to cut that will lower the taxes. Could it be the police, fire or Public Works departments. Maybe the town employee benefits or their salaries. How about some suggestions as to what you want to cut to lower the budget.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:04 is trying to provoke the townspeople to distract them from the real truth. This guy is EXACTLY what we need. Enough with the taxes and these idiots who think that is the only answer. Sometimes the best decision is not the easiest. I don't care what he cuts to stop these tax increases. Take the damn roads back to gravel for all I care. You have to walk through the fire sometimes to get to the other side, so I am with him because the current status quo that the elitists in power keep moving towards only plunges us deeper into the hole.
DeleteSo I am greatly sorry if that offends you and if that means jobs or benefits are on the chopping block but the flip side is ..you won't have anything if the town continues down its path because at some point there will only be drugs and crime and no tax paying citizens and then you really are SOL
Well excuse me...He said he wants to lower the tax rate, so I only asked how he plans on doing it. If you want the roads back to gravel then maybe that is one way of reducing the taxes. That's all I want to know.
DeleteAnyone can run for office and say the they want to reduce taxes and then when they get in office reality sets in and nothing changes.
He needs to tell us what he plans on cutting to reduce the tax rate. Getting more revenue from new businesses won't happen so what is the plan.
we have to make cuts plain and simple. Of course the town employees and select board always predict doom and gloom if that happens and it won't it is just a scare tactic for the elderly to get them to vote in the budget. Everyone needs to wake up and realize that we will be fine with cuts and they are necessary to bring the town back to a viable place for people to move and live in again.
DeleteMaybe somebody has an answer to this: What happens to your home insurance when the fire department is downsized or eliminated?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the portion of my taxes paid to support a fire department is far smaller than the increase will be in my fire insurance when the department is degraded.
I don't think that in that case "saving" me some taxes is going to make me feel better. Same with privatizing the water supply, the schools, and a lot of other stuff.
But as I say, who's got the data?
Actually- Your home insurance isn't rated on what your town's fire dept staffs or even if it is a volunteer fire department. So that argument plays no part in the equation.
Deleteinsurance companies don't rate houses the way they like to rate people??? Could you explain in more detail?
DeleteUnlike the above, low information voters, I find Mr. Martone's bio conspicuously vague. Best I can ascertain from a web search is an unemployed, NJ born, San Francisco transplant with Democrat party references.
ReplyDeleteI cringe at the thought this man could share responsibility for Pelosi's tenure in Congress. Matter of fact, it seriously frightens me. So how about it Mr. Martone, ready to come clean with a bio we few more informed voters could scrutinize?
Hey, after 56 years of working, I'm unemployed, too! It's called "retirement." And you gave yourself away with the use of "Democrat" as an adjective.
DeleteAnd you gave yourself away with the use of the word "unemployed" to describe your status.
Deleteand proud of it!
DeleteAh, the pride of entitlement living! Spoken like the socialist government dependent that you are and would have others become.
DeleteWWII was the biggest socialist effort America ever conducted. Are you ashamed of it?
DeleteAgree with this prospective candidate's aspiration to lower property taxes. Also agree with innovations that could allow towns to share services and achieve greater efficiencies (although I think that will be difficult to achieve due to contractual/legal implications).
ReplyDeleteI am concerned however that this candidates employment experience appears exclusively affiliated with in "government" and "non-profit" organizations. This makes me suspect that when it comes time to make the tough calls on public spending, he wouldn't have the spine to make it happen.
I agree with The Machinist that Mr. Martone should publish a comprehensive biography.
Somebody who has worked in the military for thirty years and gets appointed to Secretary of Defense has a good idea of when he/she is getting snowed by the Pentagon, the services or the military contractors.
ReplyDeleteSomebody who has extensive familiarity with local government operations is much less likely to be snowed by town officials.
Except Mr. Martone does not have "extensive familiarity" with Springfield's local government operations. What a rube!
DeleteSo, your cardiologist does not have "extensive familiarity" with your heart, but you can count on her to deal professionally with your condition!
DeleteWhat is it about Springfield lately, owners of the Hartness House and now a potential selectman.
ReplyDeleteMr. Martone doesn't own the Hartness House.
DeleteThere's far less similarity amongst governments than there is with respect to human anatomy. That said, I would have thought you would have used a proctologist in your example - a field in which you're obviously better acquainted!
ReplyDeleteMr. Martone brings a refreshing, new perspective to Springfield. His experience is extensive, and his work on the budget committee here in Springfield is indicative of his thorough knowledge of the town. He has my vote for sure.
ReplyDeleteLet me see here now...Mr. Martone is on the Springfield Budget Advisory Committee and I don't see any big slashing that reduced the new Budget...it's going up again So...he needs to come up with a new slogan that makes him stand out better then the existing selectmen.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was just keeping it a secret while on the Budget committee and will reveal it when he is elected. NO...I doubt it!!!
Well, we can reduce property taxes by half if we get rid of the police and fire departments! You in favor of that? You could bring him around, I suppose...
DeleteWell since you apparently spent so much time at the budget work shops and meetings (oh that is right YOU DID NOT) then you would know the committee can ONLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS to the selectboard on the budget and they have the final say! So maybe just maybe if you had been there you would have heard the frustration for not only Mr Martone but from the rest of the advisory committee that the selectboard and new town manager had their own agenda and were not open to any ideas to reduce expenses or increase revenue. Oh that's right you weren't there so zip it!
Deletechuck gregory....I'm not in favor of anything, but Mr. Martone and the advisory committee didn't present any big savings to the BOS that would reduce the budget. Does that make him un-qualified to be on the governing body of Springfield??? I don't think so but he just can't run on "We must limit property taxes to grow town".
DeleteOh, so I should tell the Budget Committee to push for getting rid of the first responders! You are so helpful!
DeleteMr. Martone is genuinely interested in trying to help Springfield get on a path that leads to a better future. Can he work miracles, of course not be he has a fresh perspective, understands
ReplyDeletehow town government works and is willing to step up and get involved. A lot of people are
quick to complain, but don't get involved. Here is Mr. Martone someone that is willing to roll up his shirt sleeves and get involved. So far the same old, same old has gotten us no where. Give Mr. Martone a chance to make a difference.
its very simple. if you want lower property taxes stop giving away your tax base.
ReplyDeleteNo, if you want lower property taxes, you should re-think the nature of the property tax rather than try slap another band-aid on it.
DeleteProperty taxes were established when owners of property used them to make money, largely through resource extraction-- food, wood, animal products, etc.-- and rents. They were carried over to residences when the middle class emerged.
In Springfield, there was a very nice capital base during the Precision Valley century, when not only were the shops munificent, but they were also owned by people who believed in civic responsibility-- hence, no overhead wires downtown, a hospital, a library, sewerage, gas and water lines, good schools and so forth.
However, since then, Wall Street's values have overtaken the notion of working in part (at least) for the public good, with the result that in Vermont alone there is some $38 billion in untaxed privately held property, a tax structure which hugely favors the best off, and a property tax which hits about 80% of Springfielders in the neck.
If you concentrate on simply retaining the tax base instead of looking at the whole structure, you will not end the iniquities and inequity of the traditional system.
There you go again with your jealousy of those who have more than you! You just can't stand the fact that others are much more successful than you and are utilizing the tax advantages made legal by your very own liberal legislators! Your revisionist history is vastly oversimplified and prone to your own fantasies. Give it a rest for a while, take a bike ride, and go do some work on that Mineral Street eyesore. We're not buying the fraudulent propaganda that you're trying to sell...
Delete12:31, read Madrick's The Triumph of Finance and the Decline of America, and get back to me. Or tell me how 14,000,000 Americans lost their homes in the last six years. When I was a kid, America was #1 in just about everything. Now we are only #1 in military capability, mostly because we spend as much on that as all other countries do. Meanwhile, we continue to slide toward a banana republic status. You haven't noticed our roads, our schools, our airports, our medical care, our educational system at all levels gets crummier and crummier. Who wants to be the frog in the pot of water? Why let it happen here in Springfield?
DeleteWalter Martone has my vote!
ReplyDeleteThis guy may not have all the answers nor have provided a lot of detail to his election platform, but his involvement on the Budget Advisory Committee and his avowed commitment to lowering property taxes make him as worthy (probably more worthy) as much of the current board to serve a term.
ReplyDeleteMr. Martone was at recycling Saturday in the cold with a placard asking for my vote. OKAY. I doubt he's related to anyone in town so he can't 'step on delicate toes'
ReplyDelete