PATCH POLL: Should Falmouth Seek a Prop 2 1/2 Override?

Citing the need for a regular annual capital budget of around $3 million, town officials recently called for a Town Meeting article which would allow an override of Proposition 2 1/2, the Massachusetts law limiting property tax increases. Even if approved at April's Town Meeting, any such resolution would still have to be voted on as a ballot question in Falmouth's general election.

Officials say a predictable capital budget is essential for maintaining Falmouth's infrastructure and public lands, repairing official vehicles and equipment, and meeting other important community needs. Such an operating fund was once a staple of the town budget, but was eliminated in the wake of the economic downturn. Should the town attempt to raise property taxes to cope with what Finance Committee Chairman Gary Anderson has called "a looming crisis which is deepening"? Would you vote for such a measure at the polls?