Updates

  • Meeting@Danville CC 5/18 1:00PM

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  • $11m Budget Surplus!

    For those who did not attend the school board meeting last night (or watch the video), the administration revealed there is currently $11+ million in the unassigned fund balance (surplus). You can find documentation on this in the meeting agenda packet here: https://timbertaxes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/05-02-24-School-Board-Agenda-Packet-1.pdf

    The books close June 30th. What remains to be seen is how much of this surplus is spent between now and June 30th – that will determine how much of the surplus is returned to us taxpayers.

    DID YOU KNOW?

    Last year, at the June 28th, 2023 school board meeting, a surplus was reported of $4.1 million. Only $1.6 million was returned to the taxpayers. This administration and school board is going to try to spend down this year’s $11m surplus on projects AGAIN.

    Now is the time to contact the school board and the superintendent and ask that no dollars be transferred out of the unassigned fund balance for projects and ALL of the surplus is returned! Tell them we expect additional updates on the unassigned fund balance between now and June 30th!

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  • 400+ Members!

    Today, we reached 400 members in the Facebook group! This is a huge milestone as we work towards getting our message out to as many Timberlane taxpayers as possible.

    Please continue to invite your friends and neighbors to the group and share this website with them!

    There is a LOT of work going on behind the scenes to educate folks on exactly what is happening with our tax dollars, and we will have updates and additional information to share in the near future.

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  • Meeting at Danville Community Center

    Video recording: https://www.facebook.com/100000208915751/videos/389569630605290/

    Thank you to everyone involved in making today’s school tax impact discussion a success. It was a great meeting with alot of good info, spirit & camaraderie.

    Thank you to Doug Gelina, our Facilitator – great job managing the event.

    Thanks also to Dave Drislane, Aaron Greene, John Mileti & his wife, Lisa , Josh Manning, Tammy Cooper, Sayra DeVito, Carol SF, Lisa Barr & Kim Burke Ivas.

    Great big thanks also go out to reps Shawn ONeil, Josh Yokela, Scott Wallace, & Emily Phillips for their presentations and Q&A as well as Paul Pazolt for videotaping the event.

    Also, thank you to Sheila Lowes, your presence & information was so very appreciated.

    To everyone who helped put this event on, it was a resounding success & all of our work paid off.

What’s Happening?

Do you own a home in Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow, or Sandown? If so, your property taxes skyrocketed in 2023 and are set to do so again in 2024 (particularly if you live in Danville or Sandown).

Why?

  • Depending on which town you live in, the Timberlane Regional School District budget makes up somewhere between 60-75% of the town’s tax burden.
  • The Timberlane Regional Budget Committee builds the proposed budget starting in September of each year. This needs to be REDUCED.
  • The Timberlane Regional School Board is responsible for how the funds allocated in the budget are spent (or not spent) – any surplus should RETURNED to the taxpayers.

What can be done?

Join the Facebook group to stay up to date on the latest discussions.

Short term:

  • Contact your town’s Budget Committee members and ask them to reduce the upcoming year’s proposed budget.
  • Contact your town’s School Board members and ask them to stop spending dollars in the unassigned fund balance and instead return those dollars to the taxpayers.
  • Attend School Board meetings and Budget Committee meetings. Familiarize yourself with the various other committees and attend those meetings as well – they all have the potential to impact how your tax dollars are spent. See the committees listed on the left side of the School Board site.

Mid-term:

  • Attend the Timberlane Deliberative Session in February. This is the opportunity for constituents to suggest and vote on amendments to the proposed budget before it goes to the ballot in March.

Long term:

  • Replace the current School Board and Budget Committee members. Run for these positions when seats are up for election, or identify people in your community who will run. Get out and vote on election day and tell everyone you know to do the same.