I am writing to support the revised town budgets for the Town of Guilford and the Board of Education (BOE) for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2024. Please show your support by voting in the referendum scheduled for Tuesday, May 21.

As many readers are aware, the initial budget failed at the referendum held on April 16. Since then, the Board of Finance (BOF) has listened to community sentiment clearly expressed when the prior budget was rejected. Notably, the BOF reduced both the Town and BOE budgets by a total of $1.15 million. According to the Town’s initial projections, the revised budgets would result in a 2.7% tax rate increase for the coming fiscal year. I find it compelling that the proposed rate increase is lower than the change in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region over the last 12 months, which stands at 3.4%. The Town faces the same inflationary pressures on costs of labor and services that we all face. The revised budgets confront the economic reality of increased costs while effectively balancing the services and standards that we expect for Guilford.

Rita Dattola

Guilford