Last week I was surprised to see a letter attacking my service to the town, since this paper has a policy of only permitting letters of support. I appreciate the opportunity to correct the record.
What I have done in the past (Dec. 18, 2009 “Consider This” column) and in presentations to town boards, was to try and start a discussion on how we could reduce property taxes or at the least slow their rate of growth. State and federal income tax rates have gone down over the past 15 years and, as a consequence, property taxes have risen sharply in order to fund basic town services.
As our own research has show, we need to keep looking for innovative ways to help seniors stay in town. What I have done in the past is to examine all options to reduce the overall tax burden in the town by looking at innovative ways to keep seniors in town and to keep school costs in check. It is obviously much less expensive to keep a senior in town, in terms of services, than it is to pay for educating the children that move into Harvard when seniors sell their homes.
I have a proven record of being an advocate for strong schools and keeping taxes down, a tough balancing act. A prime example is the expanded Devens Educational Contract, which I negotiated. This contract brings in over $800,000 a year in needed revenue for the schools, which is the main reason there has been no need for an override in four years. Many candidates tout “strong schools” and “sensible taxes,” but I’m the only candidate who has actively worked for and succeeded in achieving that balance.
I’m posting on my website, www.electstu.org. my column from 2009, so the readers can make their own decision.
Stu Sklar
Scott Road
