AMESBURY — Mayor Kassandra Gove and challenger Rick Marggraf participated in the same debate Monday night at Amesbury Community Television but their reactions to how it went were completely different.
Gove offered a short and optimistic response when asked for her thoughts about the evening and what it would do for her campaign going forward.
“Every opportunity for voters to hear from candidates is important. I want to thank the Daily News for hosting and moderating the debate, and ACTV for broadcasting and making it available online and on demand for voters to watch at their leisure before Election Day. I’m asking for Amesbury’s vote on Nov. 7,” Gove said.
Marggraf went into greater depth in his reply to the same question, claiming that the debate shows Gove “remains in denial of our most important challenges.” He specifically called out her claim that there would not be a Proposition 2 1⁄2 override.
“If you look at page 37 of her current budget book, she clearly forecasts a $1.2 million deficit in next year’s budget. ($600K as shown, plus the $700K the city council added for our schools minus the $200K remaining in excess levy capacity). She cannot legally tax homeowners for this deficit without an override or drastic cuts to city employees and services,” Marggraf said.
Proposition 2 1⁄2 allows a community to assess taxes in excess of the automatic annual 2.5 percent increase and any increase due to new growth by passing an override. A community may take this action as long as it is below its levy ceiling, or 2.5 percent of full and fair cash value.
He noted that when adding the possibility of a new Whittier Tech School project and the exhaustion of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund or ESSER funds imbedded in the current school budget, Amesbury could be looking at the average single family tax bill increasing by as much as $1,000 for a home valued at $520,000.
“There is one other way to minimize this which is the use of one time reserve funds like free cash, stabilization funds, or the ARPA money designated for the middle school roof repair, which the state strongly discourages and would only kick the can down the road for a year or so. She said simply ‘no need for the override’ but gave no details as to how it would be avoided, probably because she does not know,” Marggraf said, referring to American Rescue Plan Act.
He claimed this to be a tactical move on her part designed to get the override issue out of the way until after the election “when she is safe for four years.”
Regarding the page of the budget book Marggraf referenced, Gove noted that it is prefaced with an entire page of explanations and assumptions that are used to make that forecast.
“The reality is many things can change. We have over $100 million in new growth expected to hit the tax rolls in just the next two years,” Gove said.
Marggraf also addressed the uncertainties surrounding the city’s athletic fields.
“She also said she has a plan for athletic fields. However, this promise is new and it also lacked any detail. In reality, there is no fields plan, only a whisper of a plan for a plan which will be revealed after the election,” Marggraf said.
During the debate Gove referred to a fields plan she said she keeps in her top desk drawer, stating that her administration refers to it often.
“When that plan was drafted, there was no consideration for the cost or the lease agreement that was in place and the control over that space that ASA had. They have an active order of conditions,” Gove said at the debate.
On Wednesday, Gove elaborated in her response to the Daily News that the lease for Amesbury Soccer Association and their previous submittals and plans are a matter of public record.
“Partnering with ASA to make these fields a reality for all rectangular field users will cost far less than the master fields plan that was presented in 2019 without a funding plan for the proposal that totaled over $16M, and they will serve more sports and athletes,” Gove said.
She said that the city continues to peck away at improvements.
Marggraf, in his new statement to the Daily News, said her claims that school district enrollment increasing are false.
“I think she is holding the graph upside down as enrollment has been declining for well over a decade with no signs of changing direction. The debate was revealing, but not in a good way for the mayor. I will continue to shine a light on the shortcomings of this administration so voters are fully aware before Election Day,” Marggraf said.
Gove refuted his claims that enrollment is down.
“The DESE reports for our district show a 49 student increase, just this year,” Gove said, referring to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
She questioned the substance behind Marggraf’s claims of how he would lead the city.
“I will say my opponent continues to raise issues, but has yet to provide any specific plans or strategies on how he would lead as mayor. Voters deserve clear answers on each candidate’s vision and record of accomplishment, not baseless claims,” Gove said.
The full debate can be watched at the Amesbury Community Television Facebook page.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: [email protected].