Say ‘No’ To Budget Increases

To the Editor:

Well here we go again. The one thing we can all count on no matter what is Newtown property taxes will go up every year. Stop it. Where do our town officials think we can continue to get money from when nearly everyone I know either lost a job last year, got zero pay increase or took a pay cut, saw their savings drop nearly 30 percent, the same with house prices and saw their investment income cut? Where do our town officials expect us to get the added three percent increase? Stop it.

Tell the town officials no increase in taxes. Take pay cuts or freezes like the rest of us. A particularly poignant comment came from one of our finance board members who pointed out that when confronted last year with $1 million budget cut the school board said it would have to cut staff and then didn’t. Staff was also asked to forgo an increase last year and refused. Maybe it’s time this year, just like the rest of us. We are all suffering through this period and the town needs to find a way to live with no increases for a while until we see an improvement. Say No to any budget increase.

Warren H Hoppmeyer, Jr

23 Cobblers Mill Road, Sandy Hook                           March 10, 2010