At our upcoming Town Meeting, Alexa Anderson will give us — the taxpayers of Concord — the opportunity to make well-meaning, trusting fools of ourselves yet again.
Our town’s financial health is unstable. We may not be able to keep our wonderful library open on Sundays. We are being forced to consider withholding funds from our fire department. We are already burdened — and for some residents, burdened to the breaking point — by property tax rates that are a direct result of a building spree that we brought upon ourselves, acting upon what Alexa Anderson and the School Committee assured us would be the right thing for our students.
And now because of “confusion” and a “missed deadline” in applying for available supplemental funding, she will soon ask us to pay for our share of the $1.85 million dollar amenities building without any offsetting money from Concord.
Our community would surely benefit from such a building. But that building should not — and for the long-term financial health of the town, must not — be paid for as a consequence of incompetence. The town of Concord is not a piggy bank, nor is it a hostage that Alexa Anderson and the School Committee can take now and then and threaten: We really care about our students … and if you really care, too … then you will … and if you don’t do this now … terrible things will happen …
I don’t believe it. Neither should you. Caring deeply when you are also entrusted with the administration of public funds is not enough. Caring without being fiscally exacting is fine if you want to hold a fundraising bake sale. Or a carwash. But when it comes to responsibly handling large sums of other people’s money? No, thanks. Alexa Anderson for School Committee? Not this time. The trust is gone.
Craig Awmiller
Lang Street
