BOS-3-21-2006

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BOARD OF SELECTMEN MINUTES
March 21, 2006
Salah Meeting Room

Present: Robert E. Burr, Jr., Chairman, Victor D. Del Vecchio, Vice-Chairman, John 1.
Connolly, Clerk, Avril T. Elkort, Member; Gerald A. Salvatori, Jr., Member, William T. Friel,
Town Administrator, Judy Nelson, Administrative Secretary.

Location: Salah Room, Memorial Hall

Meeting is called to order at 7:05 p.m.

Mr. Burr noted that we would be taking the Change of Manager for Bertucci's located at 95
Washington Street: Present for Bertucci's was Edward Rush, Area Director and Scott Yates,
General Manager:

Motion was made to grant the Change of Manager for Bertucci's located at 95 Washington
Street:

Motion:

Mr. Connolly

Second:

Mrs. Elkort

Vote: 5-0

State of the State Address: Senator Brian Joyce - Representative William Galvin:

Senator Joyce introduced his Assistant for this evening, Marie Blanchard. Senator Joyce
apologized for Representative Galvin's absence. He noted that Rep Galvin was in Boston
at Logan Airport picking up his daughter who just returned from a Championship Game
which they unfortunately lost.

Senator Joyce presented: The State of the State and its Impact on Canton - Where we are
and Where we are going: 2006 (see attached hereto and therefore made a part thereof):
He noted that between 1981 and 1989 we went through what he referred to as "The Mass
Miracle" a period of economic growth in the state of Massachusetts during most of the
1980's.

Previous to this, the state had been hit hard by deindustrialization and resulting
unemployment. The growth was heavily centered in high-tech industry and financial
services within Boston and in its suburbs along Route 128. He noted that the increasing
state revenue led to increased local aid, totaling nearly three billion dollars. He noted in
the late 80's Massachusetts was left in a deep fiscal hole, with its credit rating hovering
just above junk bond status. Through much of the 1980's, its individual income tax rate
was 5.75%. At a moment of fiscal shortfall in 1990, the rate was hiked further to 5.9%.
He noted that by cutting spending and resisting the temptation to raise taxes further, the
legislature balanced the State's budget and restored the Commonwealth to fiscal health.
This included: an unprecedented triple upgrade in the state's bond rating in 1992 and the
prosperity ofthe 1990's. Followed by nearly a decade of double digit growth, however,
in 2001 things took a turn for the worse. The collapse of the dot.com bubble exacerbated
by the extended recession precipitated a sharp decline in tax revenues. Full phase in of
previous tax cuts coupled with voter-approved income tax reduction locked the state into
a One Billion Dollar tax reduction. The largely, unavoidable state obligations, including
health care, pensions, and debt service. He noted cuts to essential government programs

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