To The Editor:
At Warren's Town Meeting Day this year a question was raised over concern for the continually rising budget – up 13 percent this year, 5 percent and about 4 percent, respectively, the two years previous, making about a 20 percent increase in three years.
I stood to ask if we could agree to have a 5 percent total budget reduction per year over the course of the next four years in order to compensate for this budget increase so as to equate a net zero loss for the budget increase proposal this year as well as the 4 percent and 5 percent increases from the last two years.
Chair of the select board Andrew Cunningham responded to my question with, "I don't think we're in a place where we'd want to commit to that kind of scaled reduction."
Personally, I cannot fathom how the town of Warren does not see its select board, five people, taking their money and not returning it.
Economically speaking, an increase of this magnitude without "scaled reduction" is fiscal suicide. Politically speaking, it should have been an immediate red flag to voters concerning the lack of concern or understanding for the families of Warren having their budget rise 20 percent in three years with no thought to retribution.
This is theft of the highest regard. Tax the people when you have need, but return the money over time to a net zero. How is this not the function of every select board in the state? This is budget balancing 101.
It seems as though we are to spend another year in Warren with backward thinking at the helm.
Jake Sallerson
Warren
