Monday, June 25, 2012
Chasan: "Thank you for trying to figure out every day how to manage the needs of so many children and for loving the ones who are hard to love because they make your days so difficult."
Teachers: Another school year is over, and there’s a good chance you haven’t been thanked for another year’s hard work. That might actually be quite an understatement. Not only may you have failed to receive real appreciation for your work, your salary and benefits may have been cut. You may have had more students to teach and more requirements to fulfill. You who care about kids and empower them and ignite their passions and help them achieve their big dreams. I want to thank you for doing the most important work of all – educating the next generation. PS. I hope the the School Committee and the teachers find an amicable way to sign a contract so everyone can go to town meeting in the fall in unity and do some budget adjustments. …
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Chasan: "Thanks to our CFO and strong Town Meeting support, Framingham is in great financial shape as long as we encourage new development, redevelopment and maintain structurally balanced operations and reserve fund levels."
I would like to thank Framingham Town Meeting and the Chief Financial Officer (Mary Ellen Kelley) for the good news that Framingham has just gotten a high credit rating, which means a low interest rate for borrowing. Moody’s Investors Service has awarded Framingham the highest possible credit rating for short-term notes, MIG 1, for recent capital projects, saving thousands of dollars. After studying the town’s economics, Moody’s also affirmed the town’s current Aa2 general credit rating. The town’s strengths, Moody’s said, include its structurally balanced operations and improved reserve levels. Examples of good financial planning are: increased funding of the Stabilization Fund which is now at $8.8 million, and the health care …
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Chasan: "The State has stepped up to the plate to start to make up for the $45 million that it has underfunded Framingham over the past 10 years."
The Framingham School Committee deserves a big thank you for your work at Town Meeting. School Supt. Dr. Hiersche and staff also deserve a big thank you. Everything went so well: presentations, work with the Chief Financial Officer, Ways and Means standing committee, Education standing committee, and the Finance committee. All the Town Meeting votes were overwhelming in favor of strong schools and against dismantling the schools. The Big message is that cuts to staff or programs for budgetary reasons are not acceptable. The schools are in a rebuilding and strengthening mode. I urge the Framingham School Committee to start their planning for continued rebuilding to be presented at the fall Town Meeting. We should be well positioned …
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Chasan: Zero increase in taxes next year, means $2.4 million in cuts to the schools.
- OPINION
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Sunday, April 15, 2012
Some are advocating zero increase in taxes next year, which means $2.4 million in cuts to the schools. I say to them: what do you want to cut? Lay off teachers and increase class size? Most classes are at their limits right now. I say no. We are talking about $144 tax increase next year. That’s not much compared to the $575 increase this year. The average increase over the last 12 years has been $214 So this year it is $361 over average, but next year it will be $70 below average. It’s the pendulum swinging. Some years it is above average, some years it is below. It’s the difference between improving the schools or dismantling the schools. What do you want? Herb Chasan Town Meeting member, Precinct 4
Friday, March 2, 2012
Chasan: "It’s only 39 cents per day increase for functioning police, fire, library, schools, park & recreations, DPW. That should be a no brainer. The price to live in a good town is property taxes."
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, March 2, 2012
Town Meeting will have 3 choices to make regarding the town budget for next year. Huge ramifications for the schools and other town departments. Huge! Choice #1: Increase property taxes by only $144 ($12 per month) – this is the maximum 2.5% levy allowed. The CFO recommends the following: So we are making needed improvements for the whole town. I support this and am willing to pay $144 additional taxes. Keeps our town strong, keeps property values from going down. Choice #2: Selectmen recommended this one. Cuts $1.4 million from Choice #1, which increases taxes $86 ($7 per month). There is a difference of $58 between Choice #1 and Choice #2 ($4.80 per month) - this is the 1.5% levy. All of the above improvements will be funded. The …
Friday, December 30, 2011
Herb Chasan changed Framingham by advocating for the schools and recruiting new Town Meeting members.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For his one-man campaign to recruit new Town Meeting members in Framingham, helping to fill some seats that had been empty for years, and for his tireless efforts to help rebuild the Framingham Public Schools, Framingham Patch selected Herb Chasan as the man who made a difference in Framingham in 2011. Whether you supported Chasan's causes or not, he was tenacious in his efforts. School Committee Chair Beverly Hugo said she is “thrilled” with the choice of Herb Chasan as the Man Who Made a Difference in 2011. “He’s a true testament of how one person can have a profound effect in a community,” Hugo said. “His affable personality and tenacious perseverance, combined with his good heart and noble intentions, has made our town …
Monday, November 28, 2011
Town Meeting member Herb Chasan writes "Build up the SAGE program to encourage the above average kids and add more social workers for the kids in trouble, so they can learn better; the needs are there."
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, November 28, 2011
Open letter to the Framingham School Committee: Please advocate for the kids. In my humble opinion, that is #1 priority. I know you want to be fiscally responsible at the same time BUT, let us look back on 2010 spring Town Meeting. After you cut $6 million and laid off 50 staff, even the CFO recommended that it was too much and asked that an additional $400,000 be added to your budget, which passed at Town Meeting. That money came from hotel and meals taxes. So, the message is that there is money available and the precedent is there to take some money from the hotel and meals taxes and divert it to the schools. Another point to remember is that $900,000 was found to fund various town departments for the fall town meeting. Also, the …
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Town Meeting member Herb Chasan writes "it's important every year to build up the stabilization fund to 5%, but it is just as important to build up the schools every year. The money is there."
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
I would like to thank the Framingham School Committee for the successful town meeting Nov. 1. You started the rebuilding process; and the CFO, Town Meeting, all boards, and committees overwhelming supported you. You justified the rebuilding choices very well. The rebuilding was some good news that the town really needed in these challenging times: library assistants, kindergarten aides, another middle school teacher, late bus and elementary school secretaries. Now its time to start thinking about spring town meeting and continuation of rebuilding. According to the superintendent’s list, it will take about $3 million to finish the rebuilding. It’s not going to happen in one year as we all know. But we have to build every year. The money is…
Kim Poness
8:44 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Well said, Joe. more ›