Here’s a look at what residents wrote to the Select Board this week
Public comment at Select Board meetings have been replaced, in the Zoom age, by letters from residents, read aloud by Select Board Clerk Peter Carlson. It’s an often unwieldy segment and not all may be read. Here are this week’s selections.
Haddad questions McInerney restoring salary increases if override passes
Good Evening Members of the Board:
I am writing to you this evening as a member of the Finance Committee, but also as a taxpayer and resident of the Town of Grafton. This afternoon the Assistant Town Administrator provided FinCom with a contingent budget of what would be restored in FY21 if the override passes.
While I support some of what the Town Administration is proposing, there are other recommendations which I hope the Board reviews. For example, the Town Administrator intends to restore all salary increases that were removed from the budget post-Covid for both municipal and school employees, including the 19% increase to the Town Clerk.
I am at loss. It appears as if your Town Administration is trying to kill the override. We are in the middle of a pandemic where people are losing jobs and the Town Administrator thinks asking residents to increase taxes to give raises makes sense? I implore you to direct the Town Administrator to provide a contingent budget that only supports essential services such as education and the Fire Department. The Town Administrator needs direction from his bosses to provide a budget that protects the essential services this wonderful Town provides and residents need the most affordable override possible.
Sincerely,
Mark Haddad
Bogar: Keep Silver Lake closed
It is the responsibility of the Select Board and the Board of Health to provide an extra layer of protection for all Grafton residents during the pandemic. In that regard, I ask the two boards to keep the beach at Silver Lake closed until at least July 6, 2020.
By that date, we will be in FY 21 and have statistics on Governor Baker’s reopening of the Commonwealth.
Research shows that a corona virus, like the common cold, can remain alive/infectious in freshwater for up to three days, as opposed to an ocean beach where the tides keep the water moving.
With the limited capacity for both the beach and the parking lot, you must still consider rest rooms, showers and footbaths, and people who mingle in the parking lot.
In addition to the health and safety concerns, the money saved could be used for essential workers and services in the months ahead.
Thank you for your time,
Lydia Bogar
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