Letter: Decision on Grafton override ‘will define our community’
This weekend we had a sneak peek of Spring with the sunny warm weather. It reminded me that May 19th will be here before we know it and this election in particular will define our community. We will be deciding if we are a community that invests in our schools and capital needs or a town that begins to cut services and put off projects. This is a challenging decision when the majority of our budget is funded by our residents’ local property taxes.
Living within the constraints of Proposition 2 ½ creates challenges that are not unique to Grafton. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t like tax increases any more than the next person. But when I look at our much-improved roads, our beautifully preserved buildings, and our great schools, I think about local taxes as an investment. The longer we try to avoid these costs the higher price we will ultimately pay.
If we allow our schools to decline and our infrastructure to decay, we are ensuring that we will not attract the commercial growth the town needs…commercial growth that could end up reducing our overall property tax burden long term.
While I speak for myself in this letter, I am a member of the Finance Committee. During my time on the Committee, I have seen that Grafton has been living lean and cutting for years. Many positions have been reduced or eliminated, leading to an increased workload for employees. The town has in almost all cases exhausted its options to provide level services without adding to the budget.
That’s why I’m comfortable when the topic of an override comes up — because I know there’s little left to cut…unless we want to make drastic reductions to how our community looks and operates. I believe the only option left is to invest in our community, and elect the type of leaders who will immerse themselves in the details and ensure that every last cent of our investment is used as efficiently and effectively as possible. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of Grafton feels come Spring!
Colleen Roy
