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What it Takes

I have been a resident of Clinton for 15 years and prior to that was a part time resident for 12 years. Every year at the annual budget referendum the scenario is basically the same. There are those who feel that the increases are excessive and unaffordable. On the other side are those (including most parents with children in the school system) who feel that the increases are necessary in order to maintain high education standards and to keep Clinton vital.

It is easy to see both sides of the equation. Taxes are high, and could exceed 30 mills if the budget is passed. This is catastrophic for many families. On the other hand, most agree that education is key to our future as is upgrading our infrastructure. So we are at an impasse. The budget may pass, and if it doesn’t, it will be cut by one- to two percent, and will eventually pass, with nobody being happy.

There is, however, a solution. I have worked with budgets ranging from millions to hundreds of millions, and there is no budget that I have ever seen that cannot be cut by 5- to 10 percent without any major impact. This is because there is waste and inefficiency in every budget. It is not rocket science, but is hard work, and should not be done by the Board of Finance, but by the employees and departments involved in creating the budgets. What it takes most is the willingness of the town leaders to accept and initiate this.

Until this effort is initiated, I encourage your readers to vote “No” at the upcoming referendum. We can do better.

Len Fried

Clinton