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Special Reports
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| Norton Town Manager James Purcell.(Staff photo by Mike George) |
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BY TED NESI / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
When Norton Town Manager James Purcell looks at the budget situation in his town and others across the state, he sees "a perfect storm."
Health care costs are skyrocketing. State aid - which makes up more than a third of Norton's budget - has been cut dramatically. The economy is in a downturn, further reducing tax revenue. Voters are weary of property tax overrides and skeptical of local officials crying poor.
Sitting in his small office in Norton's town hall, with stacks of budget documents piled around him, Purcell said, "The community has made a judgment already on what resources will be provided for these services. And now comes the sorting out - the consequences of that.
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| Health care costs becomes enemy No. 1 |
One problem tops the list of difficulties communities face as they try to balance their books: The skyrocketing cost of health care.
"You've got this ceiling on revenue, and then on the other hand you have very difficult-to-control costs," said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. And "the one that has been consistent and really difficult over the past decade has been health care costs."
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| State aid becomes harder to rely on |
When cities and towns face a budget crunch, local leaders often call on Beacon Hill to send their communities more money in the form of state aid.
The amount of state aid sent to the Attleboro area has more than doubled in the past quarter-century, from $47 million in 1981 to $109 million in 2007, adjusted for inflation.
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| For unions, flexibility may be key to survival |
Public employee unions get a bad rap, says Anne Wass, president of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association.
They're accused of being unrealistic and greedy. They're blamed for pushing property tax overrides that critics say are promoted on behalf of schoolchildren, but wind up paying for inflated teacher salaries. Their political power is hinted at darkly when Beacon Hill fails to pass legislation the unions oppose.
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