To the Editor:
The Vernon Democratic Town Committee voted Wednesday to oppose the budget proposal passed at Monday’s special meeting of the Town Council, and will urge voters to use the May 21 referendum vote and survey to demand that the Council reverse its draconian cuts, especially those to the Board of Education budget. The vote marks the first time local Democrats have formally opposed a town budget at referendum.
“The Republican death spiral has begun,” said Council member and mayoral candidate Tom DiDio in a letter he read to fellow Democrats, referring to the $2.175 million the mayor and Council have cut from the Board of Education’s original bipartisan budget request. The Council also made deep cuts to social services accounts, including a child guidance clinic, a child abuse prevention family enrichment program, and legal services.
“I’ve always voted for budgets – even bad ones – in the past,” said Democratic Town Chair Bill Dauphin, “but these cuts, especially to the schools, are just impossible to support. We have to do a better job of getting voters to demand that the Council restore them.”
The Vernon Democrats are using the few days before the budget vote to reach out to those who did not vote in the lightly attended May 7 referendum, urging them to use their votes and survey comments to send the Council a clear message that further cuts to our bottom-30 rated school system is the wrong approach for Vernon.
Vernon Democratic Town Committee
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