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Balance the Wants and Needs

As my second year as a member of the Board of Finance begins, and our current budget process is well underway, I wanted to share with our community the many challenges our town leadership faces in balancing the priorities of all our residents.

Town government is not a business. The sole purpose of town government is to provide needed and desired services to our residents. We have residents of every age, from infants to elderly, with different services catered to each segment of our population. So, it is no surprise that we will all have our favorites. The Surf Club, our great schools, the Senior Center, Scranton Memorial Library, Madison Youth & Family, and many more. Add to these all the other services needed to maintain the character and safety of our community, including police, fire, and ambulance, along with public works and many other departments at the Town Campus that service our residents, our businesses, and keep our town running smoothly.

When I ran for office in 2019, my only agenda was to do what’s right for my hometown. Recognizing we can never please everybody, we must try to do what is best for our community overall. I welcome all the feedback from residents in support of specific services or facilities in town, all of which is considered thoroughly and carefully.

We are all taxpayers, and residential property taxes contribute more than 90 percent of the town’s operating budget, so like all small towns, our resources are limited. Our job as elected officials is to balance the wants and needs of the town against our ability to pay, both now and in the future.

Justin Murphy

Madison

Justin Murphy (R) serves on the Board of Finance.