Support the Proposition 2½ Override

Please vote YES on July 17th and support the Proposition 2 ½ Override.

Although the onus for this override has been laid at the feet of our school district, the fact is the district has been warning our town for several years that unless the Board of Selectman, through the Finance Committee, exercised better foresight and adjusted our tax levy in a more timely and manageable manner, sooner or later, our entire municipal budget would reach a crisis.

The crisis is here.

The Rehoboth portion of the school district operating assessment is $1,283,386 higher than last year’s request.

The amount being requested on the override ballot question is $2,115,992. Why, you may be wondering, is the ballot amount higher than what the school district requested?
Because the Finance Committee is tacking on a $922,000 municipal shortfall unrelated to the school district budget.

So, my friends, the crisis must be borne by both the Town and District. Which is as it should be. One cannot, and should not, be separated from the other. We are all in this together. Not families with school children versus retirees on fixed incomes. One Town. Rehoboth. The birthplace of public education in North America. Vote Yes on July 17th.

Sincerely,
Melissa Enos
DRRSD School Committee Member and Fellow Struggling Taxpayer