Andover Townsman: Five more years?: Town manager wants to remain
HeywoodJa
· 1 month ago
I agree with Fungus. Fresh start!! These paradigm-entrenched Old Guard big spenders and tax hikers need to get outta here and turn over the reins to someone who knows how to do a little SUBTRACTION, for a change.
We need management that will take responsibility and that understands the value of a dollar. Right now, the government of the town regards the tax revenues as their own personal slush fund to bestow favor upon their special pals and fellow insiders. Mediocrity bordering on incompetence is the standard. There's NO accountability--when someone overspends, it's "Ooops, I did it again--can we raise taxes? Let's have a town meeting on an inconvenient evening, so just the pigs at the trough will show up and raise taxes yet again? See, my pisspoor planning constitutes YOUR emergency!!"
Taxes need to go DOWN, not up. This town needs to learn to "make do" and stop spending like trust fund babies.
I think the town manager style of government encourages diffused responsibility and accountability, and is a recipe for failure, especially with the cadre of "spending is good" acolytes in affiliated government positions. Maybe it's time for a MAYOR--a single person who will say "The buck stops here" and take the blame for screw-ups, and the credit for genuine improvements.
Time for a CHANGE. Change is GOOD!
Serious_ly
· 1 month ago
If you have evidence that anyone in Andover town government is behaving unethically, then bring the evidence to the District Attorney. Lacking such evidence, I consider your post to be shameful and completely disreputable.
Did you miss the fact that there are actually fewer town department employees this year than last? Do you have some other definition for "subtraction", or do the facts just not fit your mood?
By my calculation, for the taxes to stay level in FY11, Andover would need to eliminate rough 54 staff positions. If you think this is what the town should do, then how about identifying the number of positions each department should lose to make this happen?
You talk as if you are a resident in Andover, which means YOU are among those ultimately responsible for voting in the annual budget, not some anonymous insiders and special pals. Is there really a 'trust fund baby' involved in any part of the Andover town government, or did you just make that idea up?
fungus_amungus
· 1 month ago
I say No. New school Superintendent . New Town Manager. Fresh start.
All Comments
We need management that will take responsibility and that understands the value of a dollar. Right now, the government of the town regards the tax revenues as their own personal slush fund to bestow favor upon their special pals and fellow insiders. Mediocrity bordering on incompetence is the standard. There's NO accountability--when someone overspends, it's "Ooops, I did it again--can we raise taxes? Let's have a town meeting on an inconvenient evening, so just the pigs at the trough will show up and raise taxes yet again? See, my pisspoor planning constitutes YOUR emergency!!"
Taxes need to go DOWN, not up. This town needs to learn to "make do" and stop spending like trust fund babies.
I think the town manager style of government encourages diffused responsibility and accountability, and is a recipe for failure, especially with the cadre of "spending is good" acolytes in affiliated government positions. Maybe it's time for a MAYOR--a single person who will say "The buck stops here" and take the blame for screw-ups, and the credit for genuine improvements.
Time for a CHANGE. Change is GOOD!
Did you miss the fact that there are actually fewer town department employees this year than last? Do you have some other definition for "subtraction", or do the facts just not fit your mood?
By my calculation, for the taxes to stay level in FY11, Andover would need to eliminate rough 54 staff positions. If you think this is what the town should do, then how about identifying the number of positions each department should lose to make this happen?
You talk as if you are a resident in Andover, which means YOU are among those ultimately responsible for voting in the annual budget, not some anonymous insiders and special pals. Is there really a 'trust fund baby' involved in any part of the Andover town government, or did you just make that idea up?