Some people want you to believe that to be a good citizen of the town, you have to vote in favor of the proposed new $7 million property tax.

Some want you to believe that the higher tax, which would raise your total property tax by about 20 percent, is the only answer.

Some people want you to believe that voting in favor of this big new tax, which would give the town council more money than its own predicted budget shortfalls, is a wise decision.

Well, you can vote no on the tax and still be a good citizen. Voting for the big new tax is not the only answer, and it’s not a wise decision.

Remember that taxes, once they are passed, almost never go away. Once those taxes (our money) are collected, you can count on the government spending them, but you can’t count on that spending always being done responsibly.

You’ll recall a recent example, the decision to spend $30,000 for a feasibility study for the lagoon project. Many of us gave the obvious answer on that project, for free!

When you get your ballots in the mail later this week, ask yourself a few questions. Do I want to approve a 20 percent increase on the property tax bill? Do I want to give the town more money than its own budget projections might support? Do I want to approve a tax that’s already too big, can go up by 2 percent every year and doesn’t go away? Do I trust that government will be as careful with my money as I would be?

If you answer these questions honestly, you’ll see that voting no is the right vote.

For more information on why to vote no, visit nonewtax.us.