I have been watching from the sidelines as a relatively new member of the Concord community; however, I was dismayed by the “$2.34 million to build CCHS stadium bathrooms” headline. My husband and I chose to move to Concord because we love this town. Our commitment to this community and belief in creating best-in-class schools, facilities and cultural destinations is unwavering.
The seemingly never-ending requests for increased tax dollars, special votes and assessments to accommodate those goals are directly contrary to how we, the citizens, are expected to live, budget and spend. Do I believe in a new middle school? Absolutely. Do I think we should spend within our means, plan budgets responsibly and hold ourselves accountable as we would with our personal budgets and bank accounts? You bet. Do I think the Concord-Carlisle High School stadium should have code compliant bathrooms? Absolutely. Do I think the town ought to consider reallocating existing tax dollars, create a fiscally responsible plan and budget a reasonable dollar amount to accomplish that same goal the way any of us would for our homes? You bet.
Let’s stop allowing the government to spend in ways that are directly contrary to how citizens are expected to spend in order to not borrow, beg and plead and instead pause, plan, budget, value engineer and practice fiscal responsibility to achieve all the goals that will continue to make Concord great.
Alexandra Clark
Hosmer Road