A Budget For What We Value     

To the Editor,

I hope that voters will turn out on April 25 to support the budget proposed by the Legislative Council. This is a sane, responsible budget that addresses the town’s needs. It is not exorbitant or wasteful. If it passes, we will have demonstrated our shared commitment to excellence in education and quality of life. At the same time, we will continue to have property taxes lower than most other towns that can be compared to us for the quality of their schools and the quality of their civic life.

I do not think that very many people could be driven out of Newtown by property taxes in this range. People with low or limited incomes but high property tax bills should certainly receive assistance and consideration from the town so that they are not driven out. However, I believe that more people will be driven out of town if we don’t maintain the kind of town and school system we currently have. Newtown right now is an amazing value for the great majority of us who are in the middle-income ranges. We enjoy a quality of education and life that is characteristic of richer towns, without the cost of living in a richer town. We don’t pay an excessive amount in order to have such a wonderful town. But we’ve got to pay something. And if we don’t pay, we will begin to lose what we have. The budget the Legislative Council has proposed will give us the opportunity to continue to have what we value, at a price we can afford.

Dana Brand

32 Hi Barlow Road, Newtown                                     April 19, 2000