To The Editor:
The legislation that attempted to make fairer the way we finance the cost of education in this state has run off the rails. Towns, like Waitsfield, have no direct authority to lessen the impact of that portion of our taxes compelled by school associated costs. Even our legislators seem similarly powerless to examine seriously what they have created. This is no small issue. For many people a future in this town is unlikely because of this taxation scheme.
I have recommended in the past, and now again, that our elected local officials get busy doing whatever they can to bring sharp attention to this taxation problem. Even though the town is not empowered to directly affect education taxation, aren’t we capable, through our elected officials, of trying something, anything, everything? How about joining forces with adjacent towns to voice our collective alarm; how about a town-wide survey to measure the breadth and depth of concern; let’s enlist the help of the League of Cities and Towns; let’s place this item on the agenda for every select board meeting. Isn’t the planning district perfectly positioned to devise and implement a multi-town action plan? These are just a few simple things our elected officials can try. It may not be much but doing nothing is a lot less.
Instead, and I had to take a minute to let this sink in, the towns, through the planning district, are considering a resuscitation of the option tax. Yes, another tax. And yes, an option tax is different than education-driven property taxes. Before saying too much about it, recall that this was a hot item a few years ago that required a public vote to change the Waitsfield charter in order to impose this tax. The vote failed miserably so the plans for these tax dollars were never finalized. No one knows where this discussion will go but I urge you all to stay tuned.
Sal Spinosa
Waitsfield
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