It is with great reluctance that I have decided to vote no on the upcoming override vote. It is clear that our town faces a financial crisis. But this situation has been foretold since before the votes for school, library, and skating rink, which have significantly stretched our residents’ willingness and ability to provide additional revenues to our town. And the town has continued to spend at a rate that ensured this day.
What our town needs even more than additional revenue is a clearly defined, long-term plan. Many of the people supporting the override proclaim the need to “broaden our tax base.” But, even though this is a goal that has been pursued for a number of years, there is currently no credible plan for how (or whether) sufficient revenues to solve our town’s problems could be raised. We should not vote an override now in the hope that a plan will emerge later.
We should not be voting on an override this year. We should be voting on a credible five- or 10-year plan with clear goals and expected outcomes. We may need future overrides, but that should be part of the plan. Without such a plan, an override cannot be considered a lasting solution.
We need to assure our residents that we will not be having this conversation again in a few years. A financial plan is something I could support, but this year I will be voting No on the override.
Peter Dorfman, Bellevue Road