Vote "NO" in the Budget Referendum

The town prepares a budget in brief memorandum which can be found on the town website. After reading this brief it leaves one to believe the town has been rather thrifty over the past 10 years. The following is data from 2002 to 2012:

up 55%

The numbers don't lie. This snap shot shows the town has had a surge in spending, which has resulted in a surge in property taxes over the last 10 years. The town also experienced a surge in new residential and commercial development, which resulted in a surge in new tax revenue the town website points out without these new revenues property taxes would have surged more.

It's important to highlight the cost to educate a grade student in Windsor has surged by 55% to a staggering $16,000 per student, each year significantly higher than local private schools. Even with a surge in new revenue from development and the surge in property taxes, much of which is allocated to spending per student, the student performance with a 55% increase in spending per student over 10 years we as tax payers should have seen improvement. It's time we hold those managing the school district accountable to addressing the problem differently. It isn't because of a lack of spending.

The town leaers were quick to raise property taxes in the recent past when property values went up significantly. Now that property values have plummeted, our town leaders' aren't proposing a property tax cut, but proposing another 4% increase in property taxes.

This track record can't be seen as responsible fiscal management, and to propose another increase of 4% is more of the same and should make every tax payer angry. Last year with approximately 10% of the voting population voting on the budget, it passed with an increase in property taxes by only 8 votes. It's time the 90 percent of tax payers not voting join forces with those voting "No" last year to get out and vote "No" on May 15 and hold the leaders of this town accountable to fiscal responsibility until they put a budget together with zero increase in property taxes.

Jim Walsh

Life-long resident