On June eleven, voters might be asked to deal with a financial shortfall for Arlington that could start within two years. Why does Arlington want a working override? The economic answer is that municipalities’ fees in Massachusetts grow more swiftly than the 2½-percent tax growth allowed under Proposition 2½, the national regulation that limits annual increases in neighborhood property taxes. Any network built out and lacking a massive commercial tax base, like Arlington, should occasionally request that citizens approve overrides. The realistic solution is more fantastic and unique.
Cuts loom
Without an override, Arlington will want to make cuts beginning as soon as the subsequent 12 months. Many folks will consider the significant amounts the Town needed to make earlier than we passed our remaining override in 2011. Others may not remember those cuts or didn’t stay here. It is sometimes hard to recognize all the packages the Town offers our residents until they’re lacking. The following are some examples of how town offerings touch our lives.
The Department of Public Works oversees Arlington’s complicated infrastructure. The DPW manages a hundred miles of public roadways, 250 miles of water-and-sewer pipes, and 3,500 typhoon drains that increase over seventy-five miles. It keeps Arlington’s open areas, including 19 athletic fields, 26 playgrounds, the Reservoir Beach, and Menotomy Rocks Park. The DPW is accountable for clearing the snow and ice from our roads and retaining our public cemeteries.
We oversee trash and recycling collections. The Health and Human Services Department works to defend our citizens’ public health and assist citizens in accessing fitness and wellness programming. HHS conducts inspections and problems for eating places and outdoor food companies. It leads the combat against communicable sicknesses through vaccination programs and education, particularly for youngsters and older people.
