The Great Gadfly

VOTE YES ON QUESTION 5 IN YARMOUTH

Town would have saved $207,000 this year WITHOUT the Commission
And they have spent $3 million of Yarmouth's money so far

The people of Yarmouth will go to the polls tomorrow to vote on millions of dollars in overrides, one selectman's seat and the Cape Cod Commission. The Cape Cod Commission question is #5 on the ballot.

Commission has been in business for eighteen years and has spent over $55 million in Cape Cod  taxpayer money.A YES vote will require the town to file a petition with the Massachusetts legislature allowing Yarmouth to withdraw from the Commission. This year alone that would have saved Yarmouth tax payers $207,000.

Let the voters be heard
Yarmouth citizens voted at the town meeting of 2007 to post this question on the ballot and since then the board of selctmen have tried, sometimes in underhanded ways, to oppose allowing the the voters to be heard. Now the selectmen actually support the notion that the Commission deserves to be given more time to present us with changes in how they do their job. Another eighteen years, maybe? A few million dollars more, maybe?

The Commission stifles any and all tax base growth
Yarmouth's commercial tax base is not growing primarily because the Commission stifles any and all growth. The recent passage of the Growth Incentive Zone for the motels on Route 28 has already triggered millions of dollars in sales of older motels and three major motel renovation/construction projects. The net increase on revenues to the town will exceed $100,000 every year. This Growth Incentive Zone was made possible by a zoning bylaw that was written by the town and approved by Yarmouth voters. The Cape Cod Commission had nothing to do with it. Then, once the town meeting had approved the plan it took another six months for the Assembly of Delegates to hold pointless hearings and finally approve the plan. Now motels on route 28 can renovate, replace and even combine various types of housing and commercial growth without having to spend a year or more and hundreds of thousands of dollars going through review by the Cape Cod Commission process.

Yarmouth can do its own zoning and planning
There has been no economic development in Yarmouth because the Commission has failed to do any economic development work.Yarmouth can do its own zoning and planning. Yarmouth does not need and cannot afford the Cape Cod Commission. Yarmouth coordinates transportation improvements such as the new Willow Street with the state without help from the Commission. Meanwhile, after eighteen years the Commission still has not produced a Cape wide regional transportation master plan. There has been no economic development in Yarmouth because the Commission has failed to do any economic development work, even though the law that gave us the Commission requires them to do so.

The Cape Cod Commission has been in business for eighteen years and has spent over $55 million in Cape Cod  taxpayer money. Close to $3 million of that came from Yarmouth. If Yarmouth votes YES ON QUESTION 5  tomorrow we will begin a process that could take two years or more to complete and during that time the Commission will still rule and they will have ample opportunity to make the changes we all know are needed. But, Yarmouth must keep the pressure on. Caving in to the selectmen will not help the town grow its commercial tax base. And, not one of them has done anything to help Yarmouth's commercial tax base grow or to create jobs....not one of them has done anything but they want us to wait for improvements at the Commission.

If not now, WHEN? If not here, WHERE?
After eighteen years it is fair to say the Commission has had plenty of time to hear our complaints and change. They have had plenty of time to do their job as spelled out in their authorizing legislation, but they have failed to do so. They have had plenty of time to help grow our economy and foster job growth. How much more time do they deed? How much more money?

The Commission has a new executive director only because Yarmouth spoke at town meeting last year and put fear into their hearts. But, he is only one man. We cannot even get our representative to the Assembly of Delegates to propose changes in the Commission's enabling regulations. And she is the President of the Assembly. Have the three county commissioners shown any concern for the changes Yarmouth has clearly said we need? NO! Do Yarmouth citizens want people from Brewster or Truro telling us how big our buildings should be and what kinds of businesses we should encourage? NO!

One man is not enough to change the Cape Cod Commission, but one town has proven it can. VOTE YES ON QUESTION #5 and keep the pressure on.