To The Editor:

On Tuesday, April 28, Newtown voters sent a clear and unmistakable message: endless, compounding budget increases without serious spending reform are not acceptable. They are not sustainable for working families, seniors on fixed incomes, or any taxpayer being told to do more with less.

A “no” vote is not a rejection of Newtown or our schools. It is a rejection of business-as-usual budgeting. It is a demand that our leaders finally listen, sharpen their pencils, and deliver a budget that respects taxpayers as much as it does spending priorities.

Now the real work begins: managing growth responsibly, controlling costs, and protecting the financial well-being of every Newtown resident while maintaining the quality services our community deserves.

I hope the Board of Education and the First Selectman have heard the voters loud and clear: these tax increases must stop. We cannot keep treating taxpayers like an endless ATM.

Your Republican members of the Legislative Council, Donna Rahtelli, Steve Stolfi, and I voted against these budgets because we knew they were not sustainable and not fair to taxpayers.

This year’s referendum result proves we were right to stand our ground.

I will be focusing my efforts on delivering a truly affordable, fiscally disciplined revision that respects the message voters just sent.

It is time for real fiscal discipline in Newtown.

Ben Ruben

Newtown