Regrets? Harold’s had a few, but the one that’s stuck with him most was among his first votes when he returned to the council in 2005. It was a question asked by this paper, this reporter, in the pre-election debate regarding the then-red-hot issue of whether to impose a split tax.You see kiddies, lying really doesn't matter all that much. That's one helluva a legacy.
Tobey said he would honor the wishes of the voters, which would be reflected in a series of non-binding questions that shared that fall’s ballot.
The voters said they wanted a split tax, but when it came time to vote just two weeks after the election, Tobey voted against it.
“I was going to vote one way and then I didn’t,” Tobey said. “It made me feel bad on two fronts.”
He stands by his vote against the split tax, but “I struggle with the fact that in my enthusiasm to get back on the council, I said something when I didn’t have the full facts before me.”
A smaller regret is that had he been a little more politically astute and counted votes, he would have realized his “no” could not have changed the outcome.
Jeff Rudziak fiddles with the numbers
The Apologist continues...
During a state-required revaluation, communities need to base new values on real estate sales for 2 percent of the housing inventory for the most complete calendar year. Rudziak said that in 2008, there weren’t enough market sales to reach that level. While it tells a tough tale for the town’s real estate industry, it will help Barnstable get closer to market values as a result.Homes away from the water will see declines of up to 12 percent. As a result of this decline in residential valuations, commercial, industrial and personal property will equal 11.5 percent of the total levy - up from 10% in previous years, but still down from 20% when Harold Tobey first took office in 1989.
Rudziak is using market sales through June 30, 2009, to make up the difference. What had been expected to be a 3 percent drop in town-wide values based on only 2008 sales, is expected to be certified at 8.8 percent, or $1.13 billion.
No wonder they bought him a museum at rattle around in.



