At a meeting on March 15, Town Manager Grady Miller and Finance Director Craig Rudolphy spoke about the proposed town property tax. When the floor was opened to questions, I referred to page 54 in our town’s audited financial statement (6/30/2017), under “Fund Balance Classifications.”

Note that these are monies held for future use like vehicle replacement, $695,726. The last item is designated “Unassigned,” in the amount of almost $2.7 million. I asked if this unassigned money was still available. The answer was yes. Then I asked whether this money could be assigned for replacement of the lake liners or the repairing/replacing of the fountain pumps and wiring. The answer, again, was yes.

I am now sending an email to Mayor Kavanagh to ask her if she could put the assignment of this money on the agenda of the next meeting. Remember that the need to replace the liner was listed as a top priority for the town property tax. Would this not be a prudent thing to do, especially considering that much has been said about the lack of trust on how the town would spend the new tax dollars?

Now that the point has been made that people on fixed and low income will be hurt by this tax, information is being supplied about how they might be able to receive assistance. Remember the $7 million tax: It will be based on whatever the current assessed value is at the time the tax is passed. After that, it will not matter what the value is. There is no assistance for your increased cost of living, and this tax could raise everything you will buy in our town. What’s next, giving these people food stamps?

A community is its people, not its asphalt. Please vote no.