Letter: Residents question referendum supporters

4
25

To the editor,

Since Mr. Matthew Katra is the public face of the Naugatuck HOSED (High Over Spending Every Day) movement, we’re hoping that he can answer some questions in the public forum that is the editorial pages of the Citizen’s News.

According to election officials, each budget referendum costs approximately $3,000 to organize, which means that the Naugatuck HOSED movement has compelled the borough to spend approximately $6,000 over the past few months. This sum represents more than the budget increase for the Howard Whittemore Library after the library was flat-funded for approximately seven years. Since your movement advocates for fiscal responsibility, why do you think this is a good way to spend borough funds?

We’ve read in many sources, including the Naugatuck HOSED Facebook page, as well as the pages of the Citizen’s News and the Republican-American, that you advocate for further budget cuts. As a former Board of Finance member, you must have very specific areas that you feel should be cut. Please explain specifically which cuts should be made, citing line items from the current proposed budget.

If the Naugatuck HOSED movement forces a third referendum, there’s a possibility that tax bills won’t be sent out before Jan. 1, 2015. If that happens, borough residents won’t be able to get a tax credit on their 2014 income tax returns. How do you justify this to people who rely on these write-offs when filing their federal and state income taxes?

The lack of a budget is having an impact on Naugatuck’s school system. With a hiring freeze in place, some schools are experiencing up to a 4.46 student increase per class. Additionally, schools can’t hire teachers or paraprofessionals because of the budget uncertainty. If the Naugatuck HOSED movement forces a third referendum, there’s a good possibility that these issues won’t be resolved until halfway through the 2014-15 academic year. Again, how do you justify these effects on our education system?

Thank you for your time, Mr. Katra, and we look forward to seeing your answers to these very important and pressing questions.

Patrick Scalisi and Crystal Cassetori

Naugatuck

4 COMMENTS

  1. Dear Mr. Loban: Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. We’re hoping that either you or Mr. Katra can answer *all* of the questions posed in our letter in an upcoming issue. Once again, we truly appreciate your attention to these very important and pressing matters. Best, Pat S.

  2. Dear Mr. Patrick Scalisi and Ms. Crystal Cassetori:

    Matt Katra is leading the HOSED effort and he has done more for the effort than anyone , However, I am the person who came up with the HOSED acronym and Facebook page.Matt is expending most of the effort along with overwhelming support of the residents of Naugatuck who are far less concerned with the cost of a few thousand dollars to have a referendum than we are with the millions of dollars being wasted year after year while our community continues to decline in every measurable way. The tax burden and decline are the two 900-pound gorillas in the room, not the $6,000 expense to have a referendum. Thank you. Steve Loban, Naugatuck, founder of HOSED (High Over Spending Every Day)

    Davey sums it best looking at the budget proposals:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMh6O7HuI08