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Town Meeting has approved four major funding
requests, contingent upon voter approval. These
requests have been combined into 2 separate ballot
questions. On May 15th, Wellesley residents
will be asked to
approve Ballot Questions 1 and 2 in a town-wide vote:
Question 1: A funding
exclusion of $18 million ($1.8 million per year for 10
years) to fund the Group Insurance Liability Fund
(also known as the “OPEB” obligation), the liability
for the
town's share of health insurance premiums for retired
employees.
Question 2: A debt exclusion
for a total of $13.2 million to fund:
- School Facility Maintenance ($11.2 million)
- Comprehensive Morses Pond Management Plan
($650,000)
- Stormwater System Improvement Program, years
2 – 5 ($1.3 million)
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The
funds requested in Questions 1 and 2 will
help us fulfill our shared community responsibilities:
Financial stewardship.The “OPEB”
liability is an obligation we share
as a town. It is imperative that we implement this
responsible, pro-active and prudent strategy to
achieve the funding necessary to meet this obligation.
Stabilizing our town’s physical
assets. The debt exclusion proposed is a
rational
approach to funding multiple discrete projects. It
enables optimal project timing and minimizes costs.
It minimizes costs by efficiently bundling like projects
over multiple years vs. bidding them separately each
year. The funding focuses on stabilizing and
maintaining
critical town assets and infrastructure.
Supporting all town services
(including Wellesley’s public schools).
It is not a question of if we fund these
items, but
when. If not funded by exclusions, the
OPEB liability
and infrastructure projects will be funded under the
limit imposed by Proposition 2½. The resulting
squeeze on the operating budget will undoubtedly
lead to decisions which compromise the goals of the
WPS and other town services, as well as lead to
greater overrides in the future.
The YES for WELLESLEY campaign will be
providing comprehensive information about these
important questions over the next 3 weeks.
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| How you can help |
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The most important part of a campaign is
communication and education. We encourage you to
learn about Questions 1 and 2 in the Fact Sheet available on the
Committee 21 website.
Further, the Yes for Wellesley
campaign will be providing information to
residents via the mail, email and telephone calls.
Your financial support will enable this to happen.
Please support these efforts by:
- making a contribution
to the campaign.
- including your name in an endorsement ad in
The Wellesley Townsman. If you would like to
be included, please send
us your name as you would like it to be listed.
Volunteers are also needed to help with
mailings, phoning and other campaign activities. If you
would like to volunteer or would like further information
about how you can help, please contact
us.
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| VOTING: Registration and Absentee Ballots |
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Every vote counts, so if you are not registered to vote,
you still have time. The deadline for registration in
order to vote in this election is April 25th. You may
register in person at the Town Clerk's Office in
the Wellesley Town Hall or by mail by
completing a registration form.
If you are going to be out of Wellesley on May
15th, you can vote in advance by requesting and
completing an absentee ballot.
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| Committee 21 |
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Committee 21 is in full support of ballot questions 1
and 2 and urges you to vote YES on both questions.
The funding mechanisms being proposed offer a
sound fiscal approach to managing the multiple
priorities facing the Town of Wellesley. Our Town
Officials have thoughtfully
considered how we might meet the
Town's needs into the future.
Please vote YES on Questions 1 and 2
on May 15th.
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Committee for Education in the 21st
Century
