To the editor:
The Houlton town council encouraged the citizens to float a 20-year, $1 million bond to fund our roads this year. I still believe this was an attempt to not fund the $260,000 for our roads as we did last year. We also have $147,000 that should have been put aside the last few years for our match on the Bangor Road. We also receive $117,000 from the state to help maintain our roads.
This council just voted on July 13 to take out $100,000 from the fund balance to cover some of the overspending, and it doesn’t stop there. The mil rate, they say, is going up 1 mil. I believe a 1-mil increase is about $250,000. We were told by this council that if the million dollar bond did not pass, the mil rate would go up. Now we all know the bond passed and now we’re being told the mil rate is going to go up anyway. Is this what you would call double talk, or the lack of knowing how to handle our money, or perhaps both?
Now let’s take a moment to add this up: $260,000 (from not funding the roads this year), $147,000 (for the match on Bangor street), $100,000 (from the fund balance to cover the overspending) and $250,000 (from the 1-mil increase this year).
The Houlton town council would like to blame the state because of the cutbacks they are going to impose on us. I believe most taxpayers knew this was coming for some time. So my question is, “why wasn’t the council better prepared?” In my opinion, the council has no problem robbing Peter (the taxpayers) to pay Paul (the town budget).
The school administration SAD 29 budget came in at $271,000 higher than last year, at a time that it should have stayed the same or better than last year’s.
To me, the state, SAD 29 and the town council are to blame for our budget shortfall.
I believe elected officials have an obligation to the taxpayers to spend our tax dollars wisely. This does not seem to be the case here. This does nothing to help economic and community development statewide.
In short, I would not want the state nor SAD 29 or the Houlton town council doing the budgeting or spending my money. If I were to do so, I believe I would be penniless in no time. This council chose not to recognize the warning signs, or they are just not as well informed as they should be. Either way, a 1-mil tax rate increase may have been avoided. What are they thinking?
There is a lot of housecleaning to do at the state level, SAD 29 and the town council. Just say ‘no’ to big spenders this fall. In some of the letters to the editor, they have referred to Larry, Curly and Moe. Just maybe they could do better. Let’s give them a shot at it. We, as taxpayers, have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We can do better.
Carl W. Lord Jr.
Houlton
