Belmont taxpayers “Beware” If the override is defeated, we are told the town will have to “accept a devastating set of changes”
Schools will be closed, the fire station will be shuttered, and dozens and dozens of school personnel including teachers will be eliminated. All sports teams would also be eliminated.
Also abolished will be theater programs, clubs & activities. Student busing will be basically. eliminated…
There are more proposed changes, including the elimination of senior services and trash collection and recycling and the multi-million-dollar library will have to reduce hours and services. These scare tactics, as presented by the override proponents, are insulting and disrespectful of Belmont’s hardworking residents. And the take-it-or-leave-it attitude is not what the residents are looking for. Because Belmont is facing financial problems now and will be in the near future, we must find ways to adequately fund the town’s requirements and yet not overburden the source of these funds.
For example, one area that needs further exploration is the education of students with disabilities. The number of students with disabilities attending Belmont schools has increased by close to 35% since 2020, while during the same time period, the number of students with disabilities across the state grew by 5%. This seven-to-one ratio is placing an extra burden on the citizens of Belmont.
Within many organizations, private or public, a review 0f the daily operations can reveal many areas that could be run more efficiently and thus produce meaningful cost savings. Vote ‘No’ on the override.
Art Peters, Selwyn Road