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The Time for Scrutiny

It has been a number of years since the last time a proposed town budget was rejected. With concerns about our economy, stagnant wages, and the struggle with many to make ends meet on a daily basis, one can understand the frustration with the budget. I believe those who worked to keep the increase on the operating budgets to a minimum for the most part did what they could while maintaining the level of service we have come to expect.

However there is one major thing that I think is being overlooked by the voters in town and that is debt service. Debt service in this year’s budget went up by approximately 35 percent from last year, mainly due to the construction of the new high school. Back when that project was proposed, it was a concern to me regarding its size with a price tag of $93 million. At that time we were told that the state was to contribute a significant figure to reduce the project’s financial burden on the town. I don’t know what figure if any eventually came from the state. It has been stated that 85 percent of the voters approved the project. To clarify, it was 85 percent of those that came out to vote. To my recollection it was far less than the 14,112 eligible voters.

My point is twofold: First, nothing can be changed in that 35 percent increase now that the project is completed; the bill must be paid and will run over several future budgets. Second, when any major spending project is in the state of proposal, that is the time for more scrutiny by each taxpaying voter before approving it by looking forward to one’s ability to absorb the inevitable tax increase the project will produce when it is finally completed.

George Jeschor

Guilford