Buying Open Space

Is Long-Term Planning

To the Editor:

Po Murray questions whether Newtown can afford open space acquisition [Letter Hive, “Understanding The Budget,” March 9]. Then she suggests that we need a long-tern strategic plan. I suggest that buying up open space to prevent development, protect our environment, and reduce school costs is the best long-term strategic plan we can ever pursue.

Every acre developed into housing creates a tax deficit. Residents already here are forced to pay more taxes to school children in new houses. If two children in a new house cost $16,000 a year, every year, to educate and their parents pay $7,000 in taxes, then every new house costs us an additional $9,000 in taxes every year for the rest our lives. Not to mention the cost of town services. Newtown would not need these tax dollars if the house hadn’t been built.

The long-term needs of this growing town are to limit growth, first. Then we can afford capital improvements. Then we can afford a new town hall even if we don’t need one. We might even be able to afford a consultant who will inform us that we did the right thing by executing a truly long-term strategy by protecting open space.

Justin Scott

Parmalee Hill Road, Newtown                                    March 14, 2007