Not many years ago, when the then-sitting Select Boards of Paxton and Rutland, collectively, had some cojones a couple of brain cells to rub together, and those two Wachusett School District towns ran into Proposition 2 ½ Property Tax Override Territory, those Select Boards would see to it, in their Annual Town Meeting Warrants, that the WRSD appropriations requests above the State-required net minimum contributions, NOT their municipal budgets, were contingent upon passage of such an override.
Look for budget cuts, departments told (telegram.com)
Proposed budget would restore cuts in Paxton (telegram.com)
Paxton voters to decide budget, school override. – Free Online Library (thefreelibrary.com)
Paxton voters defeat override for Wachusett school budget (telegram.com)
Override request fails at polls in Rutland (telegram.com)
THE WRSD ALWAYS LOST those Proposition 2 ½ override votes, AND WHEN BOTH PAXTON AND RUTLAND VOTERS SHOT DOWN WRSD OVERRIDES IN THE SAME YEAR THE WRSD WAS FORCED TO COME BACK WITH AN OVERALL SMALLER BUDGET PROPOSAL, THEREBY SAVING ALL WACHUSETT SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY TAXPAYERS SOME MONEY.
SEE General Law – Part I, Title XII, Chapter 71, Section 16B (malegislature.gov)
Well, like Sterling’s current Select Board, more recent Paxton and Rutland Select Boards lack, collectively, cojones and two brain cells to rub together and, therefore, have made THEIR TOWNS’ MUNICIPAL BUDGETS, NOT WRSD ASSESSMENTS, SUBJECT TO PROPOSITION 2 ½ OVERRIDES.
Example– Ron San Angelo Town Administrator… – Town of Rutland, MA | Facebook
WHEN SUCH OVERRIDES FAIL MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS/SERVICES ARE CUT. THAT’S JUST FRIGGIN’ BRILLIANT! THIS YEAR PAXTON’S PROPOSITION 2 ½ OVERRIDE WAS REJECTED BY THAT TOWN’S VOTERS, FORCING CUTS IN THE PAXTON FY 2025 MUNICIPAL BUDGET—
override_-_an_informational_guide.pdf (townofpaxton.net)
official_results_special_town_election_06.24.2024_0.pdf (townofpaxton.net)
During the 2025 Wachusett District Annual Town Meeting Cycle it now appears that the Towns of Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling will be pushed toward Proposition 2 ½ Override votes due to gross, out-of-control, WRSD spending. If the Select Boards in those towns have any cojones and brains—AND THAT’S A BIG IF—they’ll see to it that, in their respective 2025 Annual Town Meeting Warrants, the WRSD requested assessments above their respective State-required net minimum contributions, NOT THEIR MUNICIPAL BUDGETS, are contingent upon passage of Proposition 2 ½ override votes. There is NO WAY that the WRSD will prevail if that is done and, so, the WRSD will be forced to come back to the District Towns with a smaller FY 2026 budget, thereby saving all District property taxpayers some money and teaching the WRSD Superintendent and WRSD Committee a much needed, waaaay overdue lesson.
Watch Sterling’s and the other District’s Select Board cretins confront this easy choice over the next 10 months.
J.G.
STERLING, MASSACHUSETTS, OVERWATCH 