Save Rumford vs Mr. Madigan?

It seems to me, the Save Rumford crowd is going to have a problem with Mr. Madigan.

"There's a basic function to take care of a town: We have police, we have firefighters, we have roads to take care of and we provide services to the town. The charter is just supposed to guide us. It's not supposed to be a document that prevents everybody from dealing with reality. It should be as simple and clear as possible without a whole lot of rules."

SJ Link

Like I said, the Save Rumford gang is going to have a hard time with Mr. Madigan.

MEXICO — Three members of the Budget Committee walked out of Tuesday night's meeting with selectmen following a disagreement over how the town's tax cap ordinance would be implemented.

Madigan read a cover letter at Tuesday's meeting and said, “The town must must also meet financial obligations imposed upon it by applicable law or by contract."

“The town's municipal property tax levy is already limited by state law known as LD-1,” Madigan said in his cover letter. “The amount authorized for the 2014-2015 fiscal year (by LD-1) is $1,889,480.77. That amount is well within the limits imposed by the 'Budget Proposal Ordinance.'”

After reading the cover letter, Madigan said Budget Committee members Aniel, Betty Barrett and Marjorie Richards walked out of the meeting.

“Before I resign, I want to ask each selectman face-to-face whether they support John Madigan's budget,” Richards said. “If they do, then we'll submit our letters of resignation.”

After Aniel, Barrett and Richards left, Madigan said that the Budget Committee did not have a quorum and therefore could not provide their recommendations for the budget proposals.

Madigan added that the town is not required to have a budget committee  , and that if a quorum is not reached for future budget meetings, the budget will be placed before voters with only the recommendations made by selectmen.

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“If people understand the ordinance to be something other than what it is, then I'm sorry, but that's not my responsibility,” Madigan said. “It's not my fault that people listened to Albert Aniel, who simply took a number out of thin air because he doesn't like his tax bill. He misled everybody.”    

“You have the tendency to put your legal eyes on everything, and you manipulated this,” Ouellette said.

“I didn't manipulate anything!” Madigan yelled. “I have been so open about everything. There was no manipulation. The budget I presented was within the limits of that tax cap.”     

Give 'em hell Mr. Madigan!

SJ Link