Wayne County Life

SUBMITTED by BJ Reeves Meeks (1-Nov-2010)

To the Editor:

Residents attending the 2011 Town of Arcadia budget hearing, Oct. 26, asked for further reductions in the proposed budget before the town board meets to formally adopt. The reductions included:

• Apply the 2% proposed employee salary increase to offset the $49,000 proposed increase in employee health insurance costs / benefits. 
• Eliminate $10,000 community development line-item [wind turbine feasibility study—Newark Collaborative Municipal Governments Initiative] as it's a want, not a need. A zero line-item in the 2009 and 2010 adopted budgets.

Nationally, the rate of inflation didn’t warrant cost of living income increases in 2010 and doesn't for 2011, either. Private corporations are not giving pay raises to rank & file—instead they are mandating salary concessions—or layoffs. There must be frank governmental transparency in all undertaken cost containments in town / village line-item budgets.

There is already one governmentally-funded wind turbine in Newark-Arcadia, in Silver Hill Technology Park; grant money is taxpayer dollars. Newark school district officials have wanted a wind turbine since 2006 but know getting taxpayer support for a feasibility study costing $30 thousand—in a proposed school budget—is not likely to occur in these uncertain economic times with continued high unemployment rates, no jobs, & school State Aid funding in a fluctuating conundrum.

The Arcadia Supervisor has gone on record stating “he hates to raise taxes;” yet, he is; and also post-hearing emailed a message saying: “If Newark-Arcadia-School Boards select wind turbines along with public support I will support it!“

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Wayne County does not have potentially developable wind resources [www.powernaturally.org, Wind Energy Tool Kit, page 5, paraphrased].

School budgets have mandated referendum by May 17, 2011. Town & Village budgets are subject only to Permissive Referendum—which means the People have to petition for ballot initiative on the adopted town / village budgets within 30-days of respective Board’s approval. “Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed;” ...clock’s ticking.

BJ Reeves Meeks
Newark, NY

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