2-23-2020 MILTON
CANDIDATES FORUM
“Take-Aways and
Think-Abouts“
-- Larry Brown
It was a good chance for
us - Candidates and Public - to talk about real issues in a back and forth
discussion. Thanks to Chris Jacobs for his work as moderator. Some offices are uncontested; others open by
write-in. Volunteers are still needed to create community and sustain
local democracy. (Case in point - we had no one to record that
meeting.) Volunteer. You will get
more than you give. The Voters Guides for School and Town will be out soon.
Look for them.
VOTE TUESDAY MARCH 10th -
RESTORATION CHURCH - 8AM-7PM
School Discussion
-- NH is dead last for Public College support. Its own web site sets $18,500 as
an average Public School student cost but State Aid pays only $3,600 for
“Adequacy.” Peg Hurd noted that our district is already working on partnership
issues and has done so since Superintendent Sussman came on board in 2016. She
has an MBA, 20 years of teaching and has negotiated two union contracts that
bring our costs down. Travis Corriveau noted his Milton “roots” (the East
side of Three Ponds), that he was a graduate of a Regional High School - Noble,
that his job skills have been with security/computer/technology based services,
that he has done his own job site labor negotiations and that he will be
ruthless in following through on the facts of contracts or
partnerships. (Lynette McDougall’s views and apology for her absence are
on line). Note: I’ve been part of district affiliation studies twice. Every
partnership depends on willingness, capacity(s), course access costs,
transportation costs, and its impact on school spirit/community identity.
No partner will sell “retail” student costs to us “wholesale.” We never lose
local admin/building costs.
Town Discussion
– Ryan Thibeault, with one term as Selectmen’s rep, is running for
Planning. He sees planning as critical for considering our town’s future
needs. Jonathan W. Nute, presently a Hayes Cemetery trustee; is running
for Planning Board as well as Cemetery trustee. Anne Nute, a Nute Library
trustee and retired librarian, sees her skills as a good match for
town Library trustee. I have four years service as the Library trustees
chair. We agree: support our libraries.
Lisa M. Gautreau, who attends
Budget meetings regularly, now has both interest and time. Note: Some
board seats are open by write-in now; others may open after 3/10/20.
For Selectman:
Matthew S. Morrill (unable to attend due to his Reserve duty weekend) is a
lifelong resident, runs his own business (plowed 42 hours “straight out” during
our back to back snow storms) and has been married for over 10 years. He
and Ashley have two children and live in Milton Mills. Chris read his
remarks. He supports business to bring in tax revenue and improve
“Downtown.” This is his second year on the Planning Board.
Humphrey Williams is
retired from the Shipyard where he was the training unit supervisor. He is
a TPPA board member. March marks the end of his first year on the budget
committee. He has done his own review of town department budget numbers
and believes those numbers show we can cut this year’s Town budget even
more.
For me, Larry Brown, I
don’t think 5 years of past numbers tells us that much about Town goals and
costs for 2020. Here’s why: The Shipyard Training Unit is an Operations support
unit that supplies training and materiel for maintenance, repair, and overhaul
procedures set by “Best Practice” Federal/engineering criteria in a top down
command structure subject to union contract salaries and work rules.
I want that kind of work
done “by the numbers.” It keeps our sailors safe. But - it does not matter that
you can crunch a Shipyard number down till you’re just 10 cents short of
Paradise. That is not the way Town government budgets work in New
Hampshire.
For example: on 2/8/20 the selectmen voted to
reduce this years budget and warrant costs by $73,000. That money came from the
unassigned fund balance-unspent money returned to the general fund from past
years. Right now we have 1.3 million dollars in that “bank” and it earns
the town 3% interest. A zero surplus budget does nothing to build the
rainy day fund every town needs.
For example: By Valentines Day DPW had used
up 1200 tons of sand on snow storms that ended in ice. 500 tons is on order-
that’s $60,000. A zero surplus budget for DPW only works on zero
snowstorms.
I’ve served on Town Boards
and Committees for over 15 years. I’ve been the Chair of the Budget
Committee and served on all. I helped write Town Law as a State Rep. I know our
Town budget, the work our Departments do, and the issues we face. I’ve
seen cheap budgets, petty rivalries and destructive micromanaging come - and
mostly go. I support the good goals of our present Board and look forward
to working with Ernie - his low key, informed competence is a welcome
change.
In the end, Town
government is not the budget. It is our “health, safety, and welfare,” it
is the “prudential management” of our resources, it is community. Issues
change. The Selectmen’s tasks stay the
same - to plan for and negotiate those changes. If that view of
government and my experience make sense to you -- vote for me -- Larry Brown
