I thought we were supposed to have 5 selectmen?
   
    A funny thing happened last March, we only elected one selectperson, Anne Surman. In place of the fifth selectperson, we got a rubber stamp.
    Have you ever watched the Selectmen's meetings on channel 22? That void sitting next to Chartrand is an inanimate object that does no homework and does not utter an independent, coherent thought.
    Sometimes it seems as though Chartrand has learned ventriloquism and is speaking through the mannequin sitting next to him. Other times, you just hear the sound a rubber stamp makes agreeing with Chartrand.
    It is a shame that this is what the monolith Democrat party has resorted to - elect someone who will just agree with everything their mouthpiece says, regardless of how bad a candidate she might be.
   Have we given over the future of the town to those who don't trust voters and just want to have the Town Manager run the town?  Is Exeter lost?

Left hand, right hand?

 

    Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

    We are shooting ourselves in the foot.

    There are so many clichés that seem to apply to our town government.  We hired an Economic Development Director at a cost of about $125,000 per year to bring new or expanded commercial development to town.  The goal is to add non-residential development to help reduce the impact of ever-increasing property taxes.
    The Economic Development Director has been working for months on the Epping Road TIF District, and we are on the verge of voting on it. The expectation is that, by running water and sewer along Epping Road, developers will purchase the commercial property along the road and build multi-million dollar buildings, bringing in scads of tax dollars.
    But wait, while all this is happening, our Town Manager has been negotiating a water supply deal with Stratham that will undermine all the work on the TIF.  How is that, you ask?
    The only impediment to build-out of Stratham’s “Gateway District” is the lack of water and sewer. With Exeter’s water, Gateway District property owners will not be hampered by the septic system setback requirements.  Our water will also supply much needed fire protection water, the single largest impediment to the Market Basket expansion.
     Since Stratham’s property tax rate is less than half of Exeter’s, why would a developer build along Epping Road when they can build in Stratham, have all the water they need and pay significantly less taxes?
     For example, why do you think that Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn built their motels in Exeter when they could have built them a mile up the road in Stratham and paid far less in taxes? It is because Exeter had what they desperately needed: water and sewer.  If Stratham had even just the water supply, those motels would be sitting north of our town line.
    The proposed $2 million that Stratham would pay to “buy into” our water system is nothing compared to what Exeter will lose in property taxes if developers change their minds about Epping Road and build in Stratham.
    Do our town officials even talk to each other?

    More Budget Games?

     Because there is a lack of guidance on exactly how to prepare the Default Budget, we have long seen our Town Administration play games with the Default Budget to ensure that their Proposed Budget passes. Now, it seems that the SAU Administration is playing similar games with the Cooperative Default Budget.

    The School Board decided to cut Alternative Education from the Budget, reducing the Proposed Budget by about $400,000.  However, they left the $400,000 in the Default Budget.  What gives?

    The Default Budget law says that if a program or line item is discontinued, it should be dropped from the Default Budget just as it is in the Proposed Budget. The SAU Administration didn't do that in this case. As a result, the Default Budget is now $240,000 more than the Proposed Budget.  Was this an attempt to make the Default Budget larger than the Proposed Budget in order to get their Budget passed?

    If you are concerned about these types of games that force us into ever increasing taxes, come to the Cooperative School Deliberative Session on Thursday, February 5, at 7:00pm in the High School.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who's really doing the posturing?
   
    While watching the Selectmen's Budget Hearing last night, I was appalled by Chartrand's insult of former Selectman Ferraro, accusing Ferraro of "posturing." 
    This coming from the selectman who didn't want to offend either side in the dam removal debate, so he said he "needed more time," even though he and the other Board members had had more than six months to study the report; this coming from the selectman who tried to curry favor from his base by posturing at every hearing on the Gun Club; this coming from the selectman who is the inspiration behind the new drinking game in town: every time Chartrand thanks the Town Manager or Town staff, you have to take a drink. (Consequently, there are a lot of inebriated voters sitting at home after every selectmen's meeting.)
    How long will it take for the voters to wake up to this charade? Chartrand has made it known that he will seek re-election. He has also expressed his distrust for the voters by wanting to take away their right to vote on the Town's budget, on warrant articles and on zoning changes. He is part of the small group of people that know what's best for the rest of us and we should just shut up and stay home.
    Do the majority of voters agree with him?

What is this group up to now?

        It is becoming clear that there is a small, but determined, group who desire to control everything that happens in Exeter. They have their very own narrow view of what is right for Exeter and are attempting to force it on everyone else.

   Members of this group sitting on the Board of Selectmen have ignored the voice of the people when voters overwhelmingly approved an article to restore the Town Office Building receptionist. 
      Failing to shape the town in their image by the direct approach, they then tried subterfuge by trying to get the downtown “TIF” passed.  Fortunately, voters recognized this as a thinly disguised attempt to take taxpayer money for those same beautification projects that failed twice before.
      This group is trying to get money for their downtown beautification projects by hiding it in with the money needed to replace the deteriorating Water Street sidewalks.  While the sidewalk replacement project would cost about $580,000, Selectman Dan Chartrand and this group are determined to ask for $1.2 million for this project and "other future sidewalk projects."

      Another recent initiative by this group is to change 150 years of Exeter tradition by trying to change the way the Budget Recommendations Committee is selected.  For more than one and a half centuries, the voters have elected this Committee. Long ago, voters recognized that we needed a broad-based group representing the taxpayers to review the annual budget proposals and make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen.  It seems that the Town Manager and some Board members want to turn this independent committee into a handpicked body that will rubber stamp whatever the Town Manager wants.

      We have also heard Selectman Chartrand voice his distrust of Exeter voters, saying that we no longer need Exeter residents to vote on the budget or zoning amendments or major spending articles.  He believes those decisions should be left in the hands of the Town Manager and a select group of people, called a Town Council.

     Exeter taxpayers need to be alert to this small group's motives and actions that will remove taxpayers from the Town processes.

     Will voters spend the time to attend the Deliberative Session on Saturday, January 31, to push back on these attempts to control our town? Do we need to approve $1.2 million when all that is really needed is less than half that amount? Shouldn’t Selectman Chartrand recuse himself from discussions and voting on downtown projects that directly affect his business?

    It is all in the hands of the voters. Do you really care enough to make your opinion known at the Deliberative Session and the ballot box?



Sidewalks go for the "whole enchilada"

.    It is doubtful anyone would disagree that something needs to be done about the condition of our town's sidewalks, downtown and on Lincoln Street to name two locations.  Furthermore, most, if not all, are beyond repair and need total replacement.  Replacement options include asphalt, concrete or brick, in increasing order of cost. 

     It would appear, over the rational argument by two members of the Board of Selectmen and one citizen at a recent meeting, that the Town will likely proceed with writing a warrant article for a $1.2 million to replace sidewalks on Water Street and portions of Lincoln and Front Streets and a small portion in the vicinity of the String Bridge.  It would specify $580 thousand for the downtown/Front Street/ String Bridge sidewalks, with the $620 thousand remainder reserved for "future" sidewalk work. Two of the Selectmen are arguing for three separate warrant articles: $580k for the concrete sidewalks, $620k for a sidewalk reserve fund and $250k for brick enhancements as is being proposed by a private citizen.

     It is no surprise that Selectman Chartrand again ignores public input and that of other Board members by pushing to go for the entire $1.2 million in one warrant article..  After all, as he has often said, he knows what the voters are thinking and how they will vote.  Sadly there is some truth to the latter.  Exeter is a highly partisan town.  There is a voting block, representing the minority of registered voters, upon which Chartrand holds his view that he can get the necessary support.  The majority do not involve themselves in Town affairs, nor do they vote.  However, in the past, voters have turned down efforts to spend $6 million for downtown beautification.  They might balk at voting for Chartrand's proposed warrant article. 

     It should be mentioned here that Selectman Chartrand has a vested interest, as a downtown business owner, in replacing downtown sidewalks.  He is a strong proponent of downtown beautification.  It would seem he has a conflict of interest in this matter and should recuse himself from this issue. 
     It is high time that the Board of Selectmen and the Town Manager give serious consideration to public input and opinion as it reflects what many think is the more reasonable and affordable approach to resolving an issue. 

New Exeter Community Affairs program coming

Many Exeter residents have voiced the opinion that there isn't any media focused solely on what's happening in Exeter. Well, a new community affairs program is coming to Exeter's local cable access channel 98. The new program will focus on happenings in Exeter with a new show every two weeks with content that will be non-political and timely.
Stay tuned for more details about content and times when the program will be shown.