To the editor:

No matter where you live in this great commonwealth of ours there are some specific questions you need to ask your councilors and mayor to prepare early for the tax rate, split or not, and the tax classification hearing and its distribution in computing the total tax burden on each and every property owner affecting everyone in the municipality and plus any other major question(s) that the community's voters decide like:

What is the total value of the tax base as of Jan. 1, 2007, and the change versus Jan. 1, 2006? What is the new "growth," the new value, figure as of June 30, 2007? What are state charges and receipts, local aid and Chapter 70 for education, did it increase/decrease? What's the overlay request for abatements and exemptions? What did we expend last year and what was the figure expended the annual report of the assessors and how much of it was used as surplus revenue? What is the gross appropriation for the next fiscal year? What is estimated non-certified free cash and will you return the unexpended expense to the taxpayer and/or get their permission to expend it to lower next year's tax rate? By how much did the mayor-selectemen request and council/meeting approve in end-of-the-years transfers during May, June and July? What about an explanation about "available funds"? Within local receipts, how do you calculate total motor vehicle? How come no department school revenue? What about fees for athletics and transportation? And what about the federal monies? What's recurring and nonrecurring? And why do we have investments? Are they pension investments? Any sizeable project monies offsetting receipts/revenues? Any estimating deficits from the prior year? Will there be a preliminary tax rate declared before the primary - say by Aug. 15? An annual report published by Aug. 31 so we can read it over the Labor Day holiday? And anything else you may want to disclose before the primary election?

In conclusion, these are some of the questions you need to ask your elected leaders prior to the tax classification hearing in the fall or any big vote like an override or preferable an exclusion and in no case an underride. Now combine them with some Boolean logic, the Socratic method, some horse sense and whatever else you want to call it, and we might get a positive common cents process! Be pro-active ask now?!

The final question: what do July 4 and July 14 have in common? Besides the word "July" and the number 4, plug the answers in sequence and you got it!

JIM THIVIERGE

Amesbury