Sunday, March 4, 2007
Week Four: An Open Letter to the Voters
Multi-million dollar budgets in a company are a completely different thing than multi-million dollar budgets of the taxpayers’ money. Of all the candidates, I have the most experience with multi-million dollar budgets that are funded with your tax dollars. For nine years, I was a part of the budgetary process for the Bedford School Board. We worked on recommending money for what we as a Board believed the schools required. We did not fund or recommend wish lists to the voters. We built Peter Woodbury during my tenure and there are recorded instances when I personally asked to add money to the school budgets when my knowledge and experience suggested to me that buying a better quality product at a higher price was the best way to go. It was a better value. I had no personal agenda, just a strong desire to fund the best education the taxpayers could afford.
In addition to the nine years on the school board, I also served on the Town Budget Committee. While the lion’s share of the tax dollars has always gone to the schools, the Town Budget was produced using the same process as the School District budget. The Town Budget Committee also weighed in on the School Board budgets. Once again, my concern was to act as fairly and equitably with the Town as I was doing with the Schools. When it came to my attention that the town employees did not receive dental insurance, as did the employees of the school district, I decided to do something about it. I asked the late Don Price to get me a figure on what it would cost to include that benefit in the town employees’ package. At the town meeting, as an individual taxpayer, I moved to add that amount of money to the town budget. It was the right thing to do and it was voted in unanimously.
Did I fight against what I thought was wasteful? Yes, I did, in more than ten multi-million dollar budgets of taxpayer money. Did I fight for what I thought was needed and fight to treat the employees fairly? Yes, I did, in more than ten multi-million dollar budgets of taxpayer money.
Clearly, I have the most budgetary experience and the most appropriate experience, by far, than any of the other candidates for the Town Council. Some things, however, never change, I still want to provide the best for Bedford that the taxpayers can afford. You can help me to do that by voting for me for Town Council on Tuesday, March 13th. Together, we can make a better Bedford for all of its citizens.
In addition to the nine years on the school board, I also served on the Town Budget Committee. While the lion’s share of the tax dollars has always gone to the schools, the Town Budget was produced using the same process as the School District budget. The Town Budget Committee also weighed in on the School Board budgets. Once again, my concern was to act as fairly and equitably with the Town as I was doing with the Schools. When it came to my attention that the town employees did not receive dental insurance, as did the employees of the school district, I decided to do something about it. I asked the late Don Price to get me a figure on what it would cost to include that benefit in the town employees’ package. At the town meeting, as an individual taxpayer, I moved to add that amount of money to the town budget. It was the right thing to do and it was voted in unanimously.
Did I fight against what I thought was wasteful? Yes, I did, in more than ten multi-million dollar budgets of taxpayer money. Did I fight for what I thought was needed and fight to treat the employees fairly? Yes, I did, in more than ten multi-million dollar budgets of taxpayer money.
Clearly, I have the most budgetary experience and the most appropriate experience, by far, than any of the other candidates for the Town Council. Some things, however, never change, I still want to provide the best for Bedford that the taxpayers can afford. You can help me to do that by voting for me for Town Council on Tuesday, March 13th. Together, we can make a better Bedford for all of its citizens.
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