I suspect the budget increase being rejected at referendum was a pleasant surprise to many after numerous previous years’ increases were approved. The fact that we have accepted so many increases year after year would have encouraged our leaders to believe they can always get away with spending more: we need to change this.

The term “budget” seems to have a different meaning when used by our town’s representatives. For our household budgets, if we are prudent we take account of available finances and prioritize our spending within that. This also largely applies to private businesses, but not to our town and school. In this case, it seems to work in reverse by deciding what to spend and then raising our taxes to meet this.

The rejection of the proposed increased budget should remind our leaders that although they may wish their budget was infinite, the reality for we taxpayers is that ours is not.

We can hope that this rejection will give them pause. No thoughtful person really believes there are no potential savings if cost saving were the priority, so we can hope they will get the message, get to work, and maybe start thinking outside the box.

I’m not sure of the process now, or when the next referendum will take place, but I hope our leaders will have taken heed of the message, taxpayers finances are finite!

Patrizia Di Lonardo

Guilford.