Annual Meeting - September 29, 2005

The Little Compton Taxpayers Association (LCTA) met on September 29, 2005 at the Community Center for its annual meeting to elect its Board of Directors and to discuss local issues.

Among those addressing the gathering of close to 50 association members were freshman state legislator John Laughlin; Little Compton Town Council President Robert Mushen; and Little Compton School Committee member Joseph Quinn.

Rep. Laughlin reflected on his first year at the state capital. "The Republicans have made a strong effort to defeat the movement that would have effectively made the private day care providers state employees," he said.

Mr. Laughlin added that he had been working with Governor Carcieri in his efforts to reform the state pension system. In response to a question from the audience regarding the statewide movement toward a voter initiative petition law and tax cap legislation, Rep. Laughlin stated, "I support any measure that rolls back any tax, any time."

Town Council President Mushen told the gathering that he was concerned about the tone of last spring's annual Financial Town Meeting and will seek solutions to some of the problems. Mr. Mushen said that he "firmly believed" the Rhode Island Law limiting tax rate increases to 5.5 percent was the law and we are bound to enforce that limit.

Mr. Mushen praised volunteer citizen efforts that led to the Wilbur McMahon School replacing its aging computers with 29 up-to-date Dell computers free of charge. Discussions included how to use these high tech resources to further education and parental involvement via the Internet.

Mr. Quinn briefed the audience on the recently completed contract negotiations with the teachers union. He said that he considered the outcome to be favorable to both the teachers and the town, and that the agreement resulted in over $200,000 in savings for taxpayers over the course of the three-year contract. He said that these savings could be applied toward restoring programs that were cut in past years. Mr. Quinn attributed the successful negotiations to the fact that he and two other members of the School Committee had, for the first time, participated actively in contract negotiations.

Mr. Quinn joined Robert Mushen in his praise for citizens who had donated the Dell computers to the children of the Little Compton school.