Salem Observer : Salem, politics

Petition demands bridges recount

Salem Editor — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:28:00 GMT

A handful of Salem residents have gathered enough signatures to request a recount on a large bond article which failed to pass on election day.

After about 20 citizens turned in a formal request, a recount of Article 18 has been scheduled for Thursday, March 29, at 3 p.m. at town hall.

The article, better known to voters as the town-wide bridge program, would have funded repairs on several bridges and roads throughout Salem.

The $3,856,000 article failed by only 23 votes, coming just short of reaching the required two-thirds majority to pass.

Selectmen had been advocating for the project since its planning began last year. After the votes were counted and announced, former chairman Michael Lyons said his board would likely be working on trying to get a proposal in the works to address at least some of the bridge problems.

Though more than 20 citizens requested the recount, Town Clerk Barbara Lessard said it likely won’t change much.

“We’ve had quite a few recounts in the past and none have changed the results,” she said. “It’s kind of a losing battle.”

Lessard said most of the citizens who submitted the request lived in areas which were hit with heavy flooding last May, like Haigh Avenue.

Selectman Elizabeth Roth expressed similar thoughts about the recount but said she applauded the citizens for requesting it.

“I know they were concerned and surprised about (the article) not passing and I think they’re trying to grasp any opportunity,” she said. “I think everyone realizes the necessity to have safe roads and bridges but I don’t think the recount will be helpful.”

Conducting the recount will be Lessard, Town Moderator Chuck Morse, and members of the board of selectmen.

Selectmen use Web to support bridge bond

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:37:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

Salem officials have begun using the Internet as a way to gather support for their $3.8 million bridge-repair warrant article which was criticized by some residents at the Feb. 10 deliberative session.

A new list of frequently asked questions and answers has been posted to the town’s Web site in an effort to ease some concerns that have been raised about the project.

While the document argues that the article needs to be passed in its entirety, not all residents agree.

Resident Stephen Campbell, who stood behind failed efforts at the deliberative session to amend the article, said it contains unnecessary components.

Though he said the bridge repairs are important, Campbell takes issue with an $800,000 hydrology study which is lumped in with the project.

He said they are something the town will spend money on and will never use, causing an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.

“lt’s like they’re misleading us,” he said. “They tried to pass off the studies with the bridges because they figure people will vote for the article.”

The town conducted a similar study 20 years ago which officials agree was not used to its potential. Using this study now would be inappropriate because it is outdated, according to Town Engineer Robert Puff.

The warrant article will fund the repairs to four bridges in town, including North Main Street, Haverhill Road, Emerson Way, and Pelham Road. Repairs to the roads leading up to the bridges will also be made.

Still, officials said it would be irresponsible to repair the bridges without knowing what their impact on Salem’s flooding situation will be.

“We have to know the effect on the community,” said Selectmen Chairman Michael Lyons.

“We deliberately linked them together because they’re key to one another.”

Puff said the study would help ensure certain neighborhoods in Salem would be less prone to flooding and Lyons said it would not sit on a shelf unused.

Another advantage of lumping the studies with the repairs could come in the form of a better interest rate on the loan the town will take out to do the work, according to information posted on the town Web site.

Still, Campbell said this too may be misleading because many voters may not understand that they are going to be paying for the bridges for 20 years.

“It’s not just the $800,000,” he said. “It’s all the interest over 20 years.”

The article will need a two-thirds vote on March 13 to pass. Lyons said he’s optimistic the project will get voter approval.

“I really hope people come out and vote to support the bridge program,” he said.

Campbell offered a different view. “(The studies) could drag the whole article down,” he said. “When people are confused, they vote no.”

Back in the budget – Voters restore $125,000 to schools for computer manager, teacher training

Salem Editor — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:42:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

Salem residents who attended the deliberative session of School District meeting on Thursday, Feb. 8, agreed to restore $125,000 to the district’s proposed operating budget to fund a new technology position and summer teacher training sessions.

After the budget committee finished their cuts last month, tallying more than $300,000 in reductions to the district’s operating budget, school officials said these two items were worth restoring.

School board Chairman Bernard Campbell said the $80,000 computer applications manager position and the $45,000 needed to run several Superintendent’s Academy training sessions were vital in keeping Salem’s schools up to par.

The applications programmer will allow the district to make better use of new software and add several computer-based resources to students and parents.

Superintendent Michael Delahanty said he envisions a cohesive school district Web site where students can register for classes, look up their grades, and communicate with administrators.

After Campbell announced the board’s desire to restore the two items, several residents who work in information technology spoke against restoring the position.

Stephen Campbell, who has been outspoken with his criticisms of the school district’s budget, said the position seemed to be unnecessary, especially in light of the town’s recent revaluation and high property tax bills.

“People took a big hit in December,” he said. “The more you add back tonight, the more likely people are going to vote no in March.”

Other residents questioned whether students could be asked to help with the Web site or if the position could be outsourced.

Delahanty and other board members defended the position, saying it would benefit more than hurt the district.

Campbell said school officials were wrapped up in making a decision that only looked positive and he urged others in the crowd to vote against it.

“Don’t vote to feel good,” he said. “Vote to feel smart.”

Still, other residents spoke in favor of the position, despite its potential tax impact.

“Personally, I can’t afford a tax increase,” said resident Melissa Scorcinelli. “But I’m willing to do it for the kids.”

Despite Campbell’s objections, the restoration passed 96-25. Adding back $125,000 brings the operating budget to $49,849,647.

School officials cited the rising cost of special education and retirement as the main reasons for their high financial figures.

Due to out-of-district placements for several special education students, Salem will have to pay $656,228 this year.

“The bottom line isn’t very good,” Bernard Campbell said. “But these are costs we had no control over.”

Coupled with the district’s other warrant articles which include a $394,604 capital improvement plan, the school tax rate is approximately an 8.3 percent increase over last year.

Ballot set – Warrants remain as written

Salem Editor — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:35:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

After a four-hour deliberative session, Salem’s town warrant article list looks exactly the same.

Despite several proposed amendments to various articles by resident Robert Campbell, a room of more than 70 residents voted to leave each article untouched.

Campbell first took objection to a $3.8 million article to repair four of the town’s bridges and conduct hydrology studies in their areas.

When the article was first brought before the budget committee last month, some officials questioned the necessity of the studies and expressed concern that they would be conducted and never put to practical use.

Selectmen defended the $800,000 for studies, citing the necessity to understand flooding issues in the various areas.

“We cannot rebuild these bridges without knowing the effect on the community,” said Selectmen Chairman Michael Lyons at the session. “I don’t want to do one without the other.”

Lyons said performing large bridge repairs without considering how they might affect flooding would be irresponsible, especially in light of the severe flooding that hit Salem last May.

Still, Campbell and other financially conservative residents pushed to have the studies cut from the warrant.

“Salem has a history of doing studies and putting them on the shelf and forgetting about them,” said Stephen Campbell, another resident, who is unrelated to Robert Campbell.

Others spoke out in opposition to the amendment.

“We’ve had so many problems in this town with water,” said Bob Metcalf. “I’m glad someone is taking the bull by the horns.”

Most agreed with Metcalf. The amendment failed by a 53-14 vote.

While most of the town’s other articles received little or no discussion, Robert Campbell and others expressed concern over a pay increase for the town’s head managers.

The 3 percent pay increases and an extra $9,000 to be divided among the town’s department heads serves two purposes, according to Town Manager Henry LaBranche.

Under the new agreement, six managers, including the police and fire chiefs, will leave a 24-member union, LaBranche said.

The $9,000 was set aside to fix a situation where the town’s top managers are making less than their subordinates. Currently, Police Chief Paul Donovan makes less than three officers directly below him, LaBranche said.

LaBranche said this imbalance was the result of planning errors made by past officials.

Stephen Campbell thought the raises were unacceptable and the negotiations weren’t rigorous enough.

“This is once again that the taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill because we didn’t want to have tough negotiations,” he said.

However, those in opposition to the raises were not able to gain enough support and the warrant remains untouched.

The rest of Salem’s voters will have their chance to decide on these issues when they vote on Tuesday, March 13.

Ready to run – Candidates to compete for planning board

Salem Editor — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:37:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

The filing period for candidates running for election in March is over and the names are in, revealing several contested positions on multiple boards.

With the planning board changing from an appointed body to an elected one this year, last month, several members of the current board said they wouldn’t run for re-election because they felt the board should be insulated from political influence.

Now the results are in and there are only two candidates from the current board who will appear on the ballot.

James Keller, who has been on the board for 12 years, will run, along with Eugene Bryant, a current alternate on the board.

The newly elected board will be made up of two three-year seats, two two-year seats, and two one-year seats. Keller will run for a three-year term while Bryant will run for a two-year term.

Keller said he spent a lot of time debating whether he was going to run or not, but in the end, he felt he had a responsibility to.

“In a certain respect, I owed it to the town and the board to maintain some kind of continuity as we head into uncharted territory,” he said.

Since critics of the new planning board election process feared a new group of freshman officials, Keller said his presence would help ensure the board runs smoothly.

Still, Keller isn’t without his own doubts about the election process.

“I’m concerned that there is a possibility of influence,” he said. “Whether that happens in this election is yet to be seen, but the benefit of an appointed board is that you can separate what the right decision is from what the populace wants. Once you start considering the vote, that becomes different.”

Also running for three-year terms are Linda Harvey and Steven Goddu.

Tim McMeniman, Phyllis O’Grady, and John J. Manning will run for two-year terms, while Edward Declercq, Robert Campbell and Thomas Campbell will vie for one-year positions.

Board of selectmen

With only one open position on Salem’s major decision making body, the board of selectmen, Ron Belanger will seek re-election against current budget committee member Pat Hargreaves.

Belanger has served a total of nine years on the board while Hargreaves has been on the budget committee for four years.

“I think I can serve the community better as a selectmen than I can on the budget committee,” Hargreaves said.

This will be the second time Hargreaves has run for selectmen. Last year, he came in third place, losing to Beth Roth and Arthur Barnes for the two open seats.

Budget committee

As Hargreaves runs for selectmen, he will be leaving his position on the budget committee open along with another after chairman Peter Rayno’s term expires.

Running for these two three-year terms are former budget committee member Stephen Campbell, Earl Merrow, Jim Randazzo, and Kimberly Sanga.

Campbell, who said he considers himself a fiscal conservative, has been outspoken about the current committee and their lack of fiscal responsibility throughout the budget review process.

Two three-year positions on the school board will be competed for by Roland Maher, Peter Morgan and Patricia Corbert. Maher and Morgan both currently serve on the board.

Other races

In uncontested races, Harley Featherston is running for trustee of the trust funds and Martha Breen is running for library trustee.

Heads up – Budget committee approves increase for town managers

Salem Editor — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:23:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

Members of the town’s managers union are one step closer to getting a raise after the budget committee said they approved of their request on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Voters did not approve of giving the Salem Professional Administrators Association (SPAA) union a 3 percent raise last year, and the budget committee declined to recommend the proposal because issues with how the contract was written.

Now that town officials and members from the administrators association have rewritten the contract, the budget committee voted 6-3 in favor of the raise. Voters will decide on the proposal in March.

Fire Chief Kevin Breen, who is the head of the SPAA union, told the committee that he was happy with the work done to fix the contract’s language and he was hoping for voter support.

The new contract asks voters to approve $72,533 for a 3 percent cost of living raise.

Though the budget committee had taken issue with the contract’s language, Breen said he thinks voters might have passed on the raise because they were confused about what they were voting for.

“They thought they were voting for the formation of the union,” Breen said.

The raise will be given to all members of the union and additional raises may be given to department heads to fix a situation where their subordinates are earning more money, according to Town
Manager Henry LaBranche.

Under the new contract, six department heads – the public works director, police chief, fire chief, community development director, engineering director, and finance director – will no longer be part of the union.

LaBranche said the discrepancy in pay became an issue over the past year and he wants to correct it as soon as possible.

Selectmen Chairman Michael Lyons said the problem is a result of mistakes made in the past by town officials.

“I think it’s only right that we adjust the salaries of our senior department heads who are not receiving a competitive salary,” LaBranche said.

Though the board ultimately approved the potential raises, several members spoke against it.

“When have you met someone in the private sector who received a 3 percent raise,” said committee member Pat Hargreaves. “I’d love to meet that guy.”

Hargreaves said he wasn’t opposed to town employees receiving the pay they deserve, but he’s upset at having to pay for mistakes made in the past.

With the town’s recent revaluation, which brought about higher taxes for many residents, Hargreaves said it might be unfair to ask voters to support the raises.

Still, LaBranche said bringing the raise before voters is an important step in setting things right with respect to earnings for Salem’s high-ranking employees.

“I think 3 percent is below the cost of living, and it’s what’s fair at this point,” he said. “If voters find this to be more than they can support, they’ll tell us."