On Monday, May 13, North Haven will hold a public budget hearing at North Haven High School, with a town vote following on Tuesday, May 21. This budget is expected to increase taxes by 2.65 mills. This will cost my household an extra $38 per month. To me, that is reasonable in order to continue the services our wonderful town currently provides. No one likes tax increases.

As costs increase everywhere, many households are having to make adjustments. The Town and the Board of Education (BOE) are not exempt from these increases. Rejecting this budget will cause the Town and BOE to make further reductions. In my opinion, First Selectman Michael Freda and Superintendent of North Haven Public Schools Patrick Stirk have always been mindful of how they spend taxpayer dollars. I trust their judgment. They’ve worked hard to keep the tax increase as low as possible while maintaining all services.

Mr. Freda has said voting “no” could affect part-time staff at our library, recreation center, and pool. Cuts could affect programming for our children and things we all enjoy, like summer concerts. In other towns, things like bulk trash and leaf pickup are the first to go. Other towns also pay to use their dump.

Further reductions to the BOE budget will affect our children’s education and school improvements, especially to our aging elementary schools. I moved my family to North Haven for the great schools. Moving to North Haven is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am very happy with the school system and all town services.

I will vote “yes” on May 21 so the Town and BOE can continue doing a great job. I encourage all residents to attend the upcoming hearing so they can make an informed decision on May 21.

Michele Guglielmo

North Haven