Although there have been a couple of attempts in the past decade or so to have townspeople consider an override, such a request never made it past a Town Meeting vote. This time, however, a variety of factors have come together that so negatively impact the town's operating budget for the coming year that key town officials themselves say an override is warranted.

Thanks to recent news from Beacon Hill about a possible additional $373,466 coming in state aid, plus a savings of $75,000 in insurance costs, the amount of the override that is being requested has been lowered to $3.2 million from a previous figure of almost $3.7 million.

Tax Assessor Richard Gonsalves, using estimates based on current property values and conditions, said the annual tax increase for the average home valued at $324,400 would be $567.70 with the override, and $155.71 without the override.

The regular 2.5 percent increase in the levy limit would amount to an increase of 48 cents on the current residential property rate of $9.36 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, while the cost of the override plus the 2.5 increase means an additional $1.75 would be added to the current rate. In short, Gonsalves said, the cost of the average tax bill for the override is $411.99.

For the first time, voters will be presented with two budget scenarios, one for a so-called "levy limit" budget of $37.6 million that is funded through the current tax base, and what has been dubbed the "realistic budget" of $40.9 million that is based on the $3.2 million override request.

According to Finance Committee Chairwoman Beverly Hart, the town's current fiscal crisis came about largely because of the decision made back in 1981 when Proposition 2 ½ became law to cap Seekonk's taxation limit at 1.8 percent instead of the 2.5 percent that was allowed.

Hart explained that while Seekonk's taxation limit is capped at that original amount and town officials can go over it by 2.5 percent, this formula is not generating enough revenue to adequately fund the town and school operating budgets. The town does get extra revenue from "new growth" that comes from residential and commercial development, but other than that, there is not much else that can be done except to cut services.

Hart said that for the past few years, town officials have been frugal and have adjusted spending downward to compensate for the rise in fixed costs, but she said that many services have been already been diminished "in ways that people don't realize."

However, due to a reduction in state aid, and spiraling energy and health insurance costs, the town's levy limit amount was going to necessitate cutbacks of over $300,000 in the town budget and a whopping $2 million from the schools'.

With such drastic cutbacks under consideration, town officials reached a consensus to present the two budget scenarios to voters to let them decide what they would be willing to pay for or to go without.

Unlike years past, there has been an organized effort to lobby townspeople to support the override. A group calling itself "Yes for Seekonk" has sponsored several rallies, conducted a door-to-door campaign, and established an informational website.

However, in speaking with local residents and reading comments posted on the "Seekonktalk" internet "chat room," there is also a substantial number of residents who plan to vote against the override-if not at Town Meeting, than at the polls.

If the override budget is passed successfully by Town Meeting voters, the matter will be put to a town-side ballot at a special election scheduled for June 19.

Within tonight's meeting, there is also a special town meeting to consider several financial budget transactions that must be made to balance the fiscal year 2006 budget.

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