To the Editor:

There are many items on the April referendum that require reflection to finally inform the town leadership that we are against more borrowing for more spending on projects that will only result in new taxes and a higher mill rate. The following analysis will generate more information from which to develop a better understanding of what is at stake for some 5,000 seniors with common sense who want transparency The following "mental processing" will generate a perspective worth considering.

List Important Priorities

*Seniors are very concerned over anticipated tax increases considering state's request for participation in funding teacher pensions. Many seniors are barely getting by with the current mill rate. Seniors need tax relief instead of tax increases, but the town leadership will not create an equitable tax relief program. Current relief program only benefits 20 percent of senior population.

List Significant Factors Often Ignored

*Newtown has an outstanding debt of nearly $70 million and has the right to continue borrowing up to $10 million yearly so long as it collected taxes make a yearly debt payment of about $9 million.

*Newtown seniors contribute every year more than$ 25 million in taxes and get few services and benefits in return. And they cannot meet in an adequate location where they can socialize and get the nurturing they need. They have had to accept an old senior center that can only accommodate 110 individuals. Many seniors are forced to go to other beautiful well-furnished senior centers in Southbury, Woodbury, Monroe which each offers over 11,000 square feet of flexible space. Our senior center has about 2,700 square feet to accommodate nearly 5,000 seniors.This is a disgrace. Senior tax money has instead been used to tear down buildings at Fairfield Hills at a cost of nearly $7 million.

*Last year seniors and other residents were asked to approve the building of a new community center participating in an additional $5 million investment to the $15 million gift from GE. Seniors would not get a separate space but were expected to assimilate with other residents in the remaining flex space remaining after building an aquatic center.

*This year seniors and other residents are going to vote on a number of proposals, one of which is a request for an additional $3 million to build an attached building to the new center - but seniors will have to share its kitchen location with other residents. Here, again, seniors again will have to settle for less than what they want and need. The town leadership in reality never delivered on their promises to build a separate senior center like other neighboring towns. Yet the leadership sends their advocates to try to convince seniors that the proposed additional tax increases will benefit them in the future

Dr Rudy Magnan

60 Watkins Drive, Sandy Hook         April 5, 2017