By Jillian Jorgensen
SALEM — While nonprofit organizations must wait an entire month before they can ask voters to restore their funding at the second deliberative session, they were able to appeal to selectmen for support last night.
The board moved citizen petitions for the March meeting to the ballot and had to vote whether to recommend any that involve money. Not a single vote for a petition restoring funding to a nonprofit was unanimous. Many did not receive the majority vote needed to appear on the warrant with recommendations.
In 2008, selectmen voted to begin cutting the town's funding of social service organizations by one-third each year over three years. But the remaining funding was eliminated a year early in the proposed 2010 budget. Roth was the only board member to vote against the plan to cut funding in 2008.
Chairman Arthur Barnes said he would not vote to recommend any petition article seeking funding for nonprofits because it did not fit with his personal philosophy.
"Everybody must pay their property taxes," Barnes said. "I shouldn't have to pay my property taxes to support a nonprofit."
But Barnes pointed out to the crowd at Town Hall, filled with representatives from nonprofit groups, that voters would make the ultimate decision and urged them to strongly present their case at last night's meeting. About 40 people attended.
Selectmen Patrick Hargreaves and Elizabeth Roth voted to recommend almost every petition article for a nonprofit. Hargreaves stepped down during consideration of an article that would fund the police detail at the holiday parade because he chairs the event. Roth abstained from a vote on funding for Salem Family Resources and a joint warrant article that included the organization because she is a member of the group's board.
Speaking as a resident after she stepped down while the other selectmen considered an article that would fund nine nonprofits for $92,250, Roth urged the board to consider how much their recommendation means to voters at the second deliberative session.
"We're arbitrarily making these decisions based on our own preferences," she said. The article was not recommended.
Roth said the voters should decide how much they want their tax rate to rise.
Selectmen Everett McBride and Michael Lyons did not vote to recommend most of the articles. Both supported funding for the holiday parade police detail, with Lyons saying the town should offer security and public safety support.
"Only we can provide that," he said.
Selectmen voted 3-2 to recommend $22,390 for Rockingham Community Action, with Barnes and Lyons voting in opposition. They recommended $5,000 for the American Red Cross, with Barnes voting against. Salem Youth Baseball's request for $7,000 to cover part of the lighting cost at Michele Park was recommended 3-2, with Lyons and Barnes voting against.
Funding for Rockingham County Meals on Wheels, which Assistant Director Jaymie Chagnon said serves 120 Salem residents daily, was recommended 4-1, with Barnes voting against.
Motions to recommend funding for A Safe Place, Community Health Services of Greater Derry, the Greater Salem Caregivers, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Nashua and Greater Salem failed 3-2, with Lyons, McBride and Barnes voting in oposition.
A motion to recommend funding for Salem Family Resources also failed, 3-1-1, with Hargreaves voting in favor and Roth abstaining.
Matthew Bryant, treasurer of the Greater Salem Caregivers, which provides transportation to medical appointments, said the funding was critical despite the organization's use of charitable gaming.
"With the removal of the (Salem) grant money, we're in the red," he said. "If Texas Hold 'Em goes away, we're done."
Voters will have their say on these and other articles at the second deliberative session March 13 at 9 a.m.
ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ
Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
