At Special Town meeting on Jan 19, 2023, a slide was shown of 7 other Massachusetts public school projects that had cost overruns and whether or not voters passed the warrant articles. Conspicuously absent was whether or not they’d secured Massachusetts School Building Authority funding. It turns out, EVERY single school project had. In fact, most were promised at least $32M in MSBA funding, including a middle school project that failed to pass. Their respective taxpayers would be shouldering only a fraction of the slide’s numbers.
The Concord Middle School building project is receiving ZERO MSBA funding. As such, it will possibly be the most expensive property taxpayer-funded middle school project in the state. Maybe even receive the Massachusetts Golden Fleece Award.
Where is our $32M? How did this happen?
This spin and obfuscation of total project costs to taxpayers and, especially, failure to design within MSBA bounds will amount to Hunger Games amongst those in need for scarce resources. Already all low-income renters at Concord’s Best Western are being displaced to house shelter families. Many elderly Concord residents say they will have to move out, after raising their families, decades of volunteering, and loving this town.
To that, those supporting the upcoming cost overrun article are effectively saying, “Let them eat cake.”
For arguable reasons, we need a new middle school. But we don’t need a Golden Fleece Award.
Fewer than 4% of registered voters made this happen. Don’t let another superminority of registered voters dictate your ability to live in Concord.
Get the facts. Vote NO at Town Election on Feb. 16, 2023.
Fannie Rogal
]Monsen Road
