ContributorOne cup of coffee a day is what it will ultimately take to preserve essential and educational services in Belmont. Yes, this is reductive, and the tax burden of another override will affect each of us differently.
I get it — $8.4 million is a lot of money, especially considering we are already shelling out millions for a new library and ice-skating rink. (Although, this should not be a zero-sum game — paying for things we have already committed to does not preclude us from investing more where the money is even more critical.)
Setting aside other projects, what might the real cost of the proposed override be to each of us? The last census put Belmont at roughly 27,000 residents. Assuming that number hasn’t drastically changed, the back-of-napkin-math cost of the proposed override per resident will be about $311 for the year. That’s like a premium Netflix subscription. If we assume an average household of four, we are talking about roughly $3.50 per day for that entire household. That’s practically a cup of Dunkin’ coffee.
So, how much is that cup of coffee worth to you? Is it worth investing in the safety and future of Belmont and its children?
Alessandro Migliom. Trapelo Road
