By Dan Condon
Sanford resident
It seems that many of our town officials and department heads have been avoiding many of the concerns of Sanford residents. I, along with many others have written articles that have been printed by various local papers with little if any rebuttals. We also have written e-mails to several of these people and get no replies. Is it because they have no interest in our issues? It seems it’s all about them and their wants.
I can’t believe at Town Meeting we will be asked to approve borrowing almost $6 million for a police station, more than $1 million for an airport fuel station and a new salt shed, renovations and energy updates to town buildings and the list goes on. Lots of push about a salt shed, a new police station and renovations, but what about cleaning the contaminated CGA site or improving drainage to prevent flooding homes from spring rains or helping people like the lady who died last winter because she had no utilities and money? I guess they forgot about those or they aren’t important to them.
What happened to all these new business that were coming to Sanford to bring in this great amount of tax money for the town? “It will help relieve property tax.” Ya, right, hasn’t come yet has it? Will it ever? Oh, I guess they will just add a little more to our property tax again. They tried to nickel and dime the school budget so much it could have eliminated after school sports and activities for the kids, which by the way helps keep kids off the streets, but no problems approving the proposed budget for the salt shed, airport fuel station and don’t forget the Taj Mahal police station.
What happened to the All About Kids? I guess the police station will help in keeping them off the street as its proposed size will accommodate a great number of kids. I know some of this has been mentioned before, but we are in desperate times. People are losing jobs, outrageous fuel costs, increasing health care costs, climbing food prices, people being forced to leave their homes because they can’t afford to pay their mortgage or rents and the elderly on fixed incomes are choosing between food, rent or medications. Again, I guess not important to our officials and department heads.
The state wants to increase more taxes on beer, soft drinks, flavored water, juice drinks that aren’t 100 percent juice and our town officials asking us to give them more of our money. It’s got to stop! I would like to know if the salt shed is going to save us money. Is the police station going to save us money and/or decrease the increasing crime here in Sanford? Will that renovation to the Springvale Fire House save us money or is it the first step before asking for another fire truck?
What happened to cutting costs and lowering budgets. Why won’t they stop unnecessary foolish spending and lower our taxes? I guess they don’t care as they are making those big salaries of $60,000 to $100,000 a year plus benefits and perks. You know when confronted they will tell you now is the time to borrow the money as interest rates are low, but did they think of or care about us who will have to pay it back for years along with the yearly increase of taxes to pacify their wants. Ask them what the total interest will be on those bonds/loans. Try more than $4 million in 20 years. That’s about $200,000 a year in interest we will pay. Don’t they know we can’t afford anymore? Let’s see if they will give up some of the pay increases and perks that we the people pay for. I am sure most of us don’t want to pay them to take more of our money.
In closing I urge all of you to tell your Town Meeting Members to say, “No,” at this month’s meeting! Remember at election time the names of officials that want us to pay more and of those Town Meeting members who are afraid to say, “No,” to higher taxes. Be sure they get, “No,” votes. There is a need for more common sense thinking Town Meeting members in many wards. Sign up, get involved.