The Primary Election pamphlet shows that the estimated budgets for the coming four years include one very substantial item major capital projects which range from a low of 27.5 percent to a high of 48.9 percent of total expenditures. There is no explanation, other than the catch-all heading, of where this kind of money is intended to go.
The town can afford to build ballparks and a beautiful library, but does not have the money to maintain and improve its streets. The town council even has the nerve to ask the taxpaying residents on one or more (?) certain streets to foot half the cost of the towns obligation to maintain or improve such streets and now they want the whole town to foot the bill for some other streets through a bond issue. If they get away with that, where is it going to end?
Under the state-imposed limitation the town council shows a total expenditure figure for each of the four years, but not any break-down; and, eliminating the Major Capital projects, what would happen to the surplus for each of the four years under this limitation? However, prudent management would indicate that the state-imposed limitation is the way to go; and if we do, then there should be money enough for the streets without a bond issue with some left over.