RI Central - It's your duty to vote and know what for

Last week, we featured the upcoming state referenda questions and this week we focus on the local questions, of which there are many. Here’s our advice: study the questions listed below for your town/school district and think about how you will vote before November 4.

There’s nothing worse than getting in that voting booth and not knowing what you are voting on. If any of these questions are not clear or you have questions on the questions, call your town hall or school district and ask. If you are computer savvy, many of the answers can be found on town, the Chariho School District, and the Secretary of State’s website. It’s your duty as a voter. And don’t forget, your vote is important. Remember a couple years ago when the Charlestown town budget passed by only 1 vote. One vote decided an $8.6 million dollar budget. One vote.

This example further illustrates what one committed citizen can and could accomplish. One citizen, who feels strongly about an issue and outcome, can recruit a few like minded people and turn the tides of an election. A few people.

The following bond questions include the text that if they are passed, each member town – Charlestown, Hopkinton and Richmond – would pay one-third of the costs subject to approval of state school housing aid.

Shall an act, passed at the 2008 session of the General Assembly, with the following stipulations be approved: Authorizing the school district to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, demolition, alteration, repair, additions, paving, landscaping, furnishing and equipping of the Chariho High School; and improvements to the Switch Road Campus including, but not limited to, a maintenance facility, track, parking and utility and security upgrades through the issuance of not more than $17.85 million bonds and/or notes.

Shall an act, passed at the 2008 session of the General Assembly, with the following stipulations be approved: Authorizing the school district to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, demolition, alteration, repair, additions, paving, landscaping, furnishing and equipping of the Reaching Youth through Support and Education School by the issuance of not more than $4.45 million bonds and/or notes.

Shall an act, passed at the 2008 session of the General Assembly, with the following stipulations be approved: Authorizing the school district to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, demolition, alteration, repair, additions, paving, landscaping, furnishing and equipping of the Chariho Middle School by the issuance of not more than $2.71 million bonds and/or notes.

3. Shall the Charter be amended to change the duties of the Director of Public Assistance? This would update the duties to reflect a more accurate representation of what the department entails.

4. Shall the Charter be amended to change the Director of Civil Preparedness to the Director of Emergency Management?

5. Shall the Charter be amended to allow the updating of the process for the Budget Public Hearing/Financial Town Referendum and also allow for the purchasing requirements that reflect today’s dollar?

-This would change the language for submission of certain budget items. For example, the current language requires a second vote on the Chariho Regional School District budget even if it has already been approved by Chariho. This could create a legal problem for Charlestown if the budget is voted down. Also, this amendment removes the need for a quorum at the Budget Public Hearing if no vote is required. Further, the previous dollar values were determined in 1980, so the amendment would reflect today’s costs of goods and services.

6. Shall the Charter be amended to allow voting rights to alternates of the Tax Assessment Review Commission, update the language for the Charlestown School Committee, address the age discrimination issue for the Senior Citizen Commission, and update the procedure for annual reports filed by the town’s committees, boards, and commissions?

7. Shall the Charter be amended to follow Rhode Island Election Law ballot format and allow a provision for right of first refusal for council presidency for the top vote earner?