For 13 years, I was deeply involved in the town’s budget process, first as a selectwoman and then as a member of the Finance Committee and the Capital Planning and Investment Committee. I’ve watched with amazement as a $50 million-plus proposal has been presented as the only option for fixing the elementary school. This proposal contravenes a history of responsible budgeting that has allowed the town to meet its needs in spite of serious structural financial problems.
Our tax base is largely residential, so tax increases directly land on homeowners. We anticipate a tax increase of 16 percent for the school project, on top of regular annual tax increases. (This year’s average increase was 5.5 percent; some properties increased 15 percent.) The impact of higher taxes will be greater now because the new tax code limits their deductibility. People who can’t afford the taxes have to move, with significant impact on our community and property values.
We benefit from a state lottery formula that counts all the soldier/residents of the former Fort Devens as Harvard residents, and from a contract with MassDevelopment that pays us a premium to educate current residents of Devens. There is no guarantee that either of these revenue sources will last. The impact of their loss would be even more severe if we take on excessive debt for a new school.
For 10 years this country has been enjoying rising prosperity. People feel confident, and they like the balances in their retirement accounts. But some of us remember the impact on this town of the recessions of 1990 and 2008. It can happen again, and history tells us that it is likely to happen again. All of the risks I’ve outlined multiply if the economy takes a plunge.
This $50 million-plus school is a huge risk for the town. I don’t question the goodwill of the building committee, but this project includes so many “wants” (new cafeteria, wider hallways, new gym, for example) that it’s easy for the proposal to get a life of its own. The cost is unacceptable. The risk is unacceptable. There has to be a better way.
Cindy Russo
Lancaster County Road
