Farmington Future Members Fear Complacency Will Limit Budget Voting

The Town Council held a public hearing on its proposed budget Monday night and complacency may have been the word of the night.

While Council Chairman Jeff Hogan gave a detailed presentation explaining the dynamics of this year’s budget and schools Superintendent Kathleen Greider and Board of Education Chairman Mary Grace Reed both gave impassioned speeches about the quality and value of Farmington schools, only five people attended the public hearing, just two spoke and there was no discussion on the motion to approve.

The two speakers during the public hearing – Beth Kintner and Liz Fitzsimmons, both of Farmington Future – explained what may be behind the absence of public participation on what is usually a contentious issue.

“Two years ago the first referendum failed and many came together to get the budget passed and restore cuts that were made,” Kintner said. “This year has been very different. It’s been a pleasure to …follow the budget process in such a positive year and I’m proud of the town.”

“The downside we’re concerned about is complacency.”

The proposed operating budget for 2013-14 has an increase of just 1.87 percent over current year’s spending, with healthier amounts of funding for things like the fire department and town infrastructure, officials have said. And following the real estate revaluation completed this year, the news was so good that some taxpayers will even pay less in taxes than before.

There seems little to complain about and so far no one – at any of the meetings – has complained.

“It’s been such a smooth process this year that we don’t have anything to scare people into getting involved,” Kintner said.

She said the group, which has successfully mobilized parents and other residents to get the budget passed in previous years, is trying to emphasize the positive aspects of the budget. She said Farmington Future is partnering with the high school student council and she urged officials to also talk up the benefits of the budget.

Liz Fitzsimmons said that the process has been seamless due to the collaboration between the town’s departments and it’s important not to take it for granted.

“We all sit back in our houses when there’s a big blizzard and say ‘Wow, that’s great. We can all get around.’ But that doesn’t just happen by magic. It happens because we have a great highway department…. And a Town Council that knows to fund capital improvement and buy that new truck,” she said.

She offered a reminder, maybe to those watching the meeting on television, that a failed referendum means the council will have to make cuts.

“What’s going to happen if we don’t all go to the polls on May 2 and vote ‘yes’ on this budget is that these people on the council are mandated to cut the budget… If you all think we can do that for you, we can’t. One thing you have to do is go vote on May 2 for the budget.”

Read more about the budget here.