To the editor:
Once again, a group of Caribou citizens attended the final meeting to set the mill rate for this year’s property taxes in Caribou and once again it passed with flying colors with no reservations on the part of the city council that there was a chance that it was too high. I must admit, there were two councilors who at least tried to use money that was given back by the school department with the intent to lower the tax rate but it fell on deaf ears and ignorance on the part of the other council members. The status quo prevailed and clouded their judgment and the money was put in the rainy day fund as the manager called it. Also an attempt by the group spokesman to express their concerns about why we were there was rudely rebuffed by the sitting mayor and he bluntly told the group spokesman that it was his call and refused to allow him to speak. Having spent nine years on the city council alongside some who are still filling a seat, I would have welcomed a group such as this to offer some advice which may have gone a long way to lower the mill rate to a more acceptable level. This was a window of opportunity to take advantage of the fact that the RSU move prompted by the state was intended to give respite from high property taxes that have been forced on us in the past years by leaders who have no clue how to run a community or manage its finances and assets. If it failed to give us any relief this year heaven only knows what’s in store for us next year.
The big problem is that most on this council have no business experience or common sense. They’ve never had the experience of running a business, fending for themselves or writing a check for an employee. With the mentality that they’re endowed with there is no way that they could possibly come up with any ideas to economize.
People in power such as the city council do not have a monopoly on poor performance in this city. The school board has also done a poor job of keeping tight controls on our educational system. They also haven’t done a very good job of educating the public of their handling of the school budget which is a large portion of our property tax commitment. All that we can hope for is that the state mandate of pushing through the RSU program does alleviate some of our high tax problems. Last but not least there is another person in a position of responsibility in this equation of things gone bad. That is the part the city manager plays in this scenario. I was on the council when we all had the benefit of interviewing this young man. I for one was impressed by him as he came off as being somewhat of a true conservative of which I thought this town had lacked in the past and being a little conservative myself he became my pick over the field of applicants. I won’t elaborate on any other council member’s opinions other than after he was selected they were all tripping over themselves to shake his hand and welcome him to the community.
I gave him some advice (whether good or bad) to go forth and meet everyone he could in the business community and citizens at large. What better way was there to get the pulse of the community and what it expected of him. I also expressed an opinion that he should introduce himself to each department head on an individual basis and after they had met in a friendly manner they would part ways with the confidence that he was their boss. In retrospect I’m not so sure that I’m a very good judge of human character. I have yet to talk to or hear from the business community or any private citizen that have personally met this man and discussed city affairs. Also I get the impression that the department heads and city employees are the real power behind the throne here. I have never had the occasion to see him contradict or repudiate any spending programs that were forced on the citizens of this city in the form of higher taxes.
Also we have a government in place in this city with a workforce that would be the envy of New York City. I hardly think that a town of the size of Caribou (8,000 or less) would have a need for such opulence. Arrogance on the part of some of these public servants toward the citizens of this community who pay all their bills is also unconscionable. They don’t seem to understand that they could all be replaced in a very short time most likely with more knowledgeable and more hardworking individuals. All that being said, election time is fast approaching and will soon be upon us and I would hope that we could get some interested candidates with some common and business sense to come forward and run for the available council positions that will be on the ballot. This community badly needs a change on the council that would introduce the reality of the situation relative to excessive property taxes and the harm it does to a community. A council who represents the true spirit of this community with respect to affordability to the true wants and need of of it’s citizens is what we need now more than ever.
Caribou
