We keep hearing how this override is different. It’s supposed to be part of a 3-point plan that will solve all of Bridgewater’s problems. This is the same 3-point plan has been talked about for years; however, the only action that has ever been taken is to raise our taxes. The plan also calls for limiting raises and saving money on health insurance. Of course, nothing has been done on those items. Why are they trying to raise our taxes again and again when they know money can and should be saved in salaries and health insurance? Because once they get more money from the taxpayers, they won’t have to work towards spending it responsibly.
For the 4th time since 2004, the voters are being asked to raise their own taxes. The Town has had plenty of time in the interim to try and make some reforms to save money. Instead, unsustainable raises continued to be handed out, and our health insurance costs continued to soar. Now our Town leaders are saying they are going to tighten their belts, and start spending our money more responsibly. But first, they need $1.36 million from the taxpayers. What has been done to make us believe them? Nothing. They have not done a single thing except change their rhetoric in an attempt to trick more voters into voting yes.
The proponents of this current override are now talking about being fiscally responsible. Apparently, they are telling us that they will start being responsible with taxpayer money as soon as we approve an override. That is just about the silliest thing I’ve heard. Why couldn’t they be fiscally responsible before?
What I also find interesting is the talk about how this override is a part of a 7 year plan that will take Bridgewater through 2015. The plan, which was briefly on the Town of Bridgewater website but has since been taken down, details the best case scenario for when we will need the next override if this one passes. Assuming all the optimistic assumptions prove true under the proposed plan, the Town will be looking for taxpayers to pass an even larger override in 2015. If this override is really a solution, why is it projecting million dollar deficits in beyond 2015, which will have to be solved by another override?
In the end it’s obvious that this override is just another attempt to fool the taxpayers of Bridgewater. Instead of enacting reforms, our Town has nearly closed the library. And now they are trying to blame the lack of library funding on the taxpayers, while Town and Regional district employees are scheduled to receive 2.5% - 4% raises this year and pay only 12% of their health insurance costs. Meanwhile, the taxpayers have to deal with soaring gas, food and utility costs while paying a larger share of their health insurance costs.
Voting Yes isn’t fair to those families who are already suffering in this economy. And, it will just embolden our Town leaders and unions to keep putting off necessary reforms. We must Vote NO on June 14th to secure the future of Bridgewater.