I was disappointed to read the recent letter submitted by my former colleague on the City Council, Maria Tymcozko, urging a no vote on the override.
In her letter she compared past administrations with the current one of David Narkewicz, suggesting that no other mayors have seen the need to call for an override because they managed with the constraints of Proposition 2½. It must be said that that assertion is simply and irrefutably wrong.
All of the mayors who have served since Proposition 2½ became law have appealed to the citizens for overrides to offset deficits. In fact, Councilor Tymoczko and I both endorsed an override in 2002. We understood that the law was designed to force local governments to make their case before the public before raising taxes above the 2 ½% cap and that the cap was specifically adopted not to be sustainable.
That’s not to say that the city of Northampton has been poorly managed. On the contrary, Standard and Poor’s bestowed a AAA bond rating on Northampton saying, “We view the city’s management as very strong, with strong financial policies and practices under our FMA methodology, indicating financial practices are strong, well embedded, and likely sustainable.”
Dr. Tymoczko and I both served together as councilors during some pretty heated override questions and faced the hard questions and heightened emotions that these campaigns provoke. The issues have remained virtually the same over the decades and will likely continue until the commonwealth assumes a more progressive way to subsidize the needs of its citizens.
Until that day comes, though, we must play the cards we are dealt. Mayor Narkewicz and his financial team have distinguished themselves by being “…conservative in its management and budgeting practices.”(S&P Global Rating Report 2019) And the mayor has made his case honestly and cogently through neighborhood meetings and transparent postings on the city website. Please vote yes.
William H. Dwight
Northampton