SAME BUDGET RETURNS TO VOTERS
In what I would construe as a proverbial slap in the face to Windsor voters, the Town Council decided to send back the same budget that did not pass in the first referendum. More exactly, an accounting error in one line item was rectified, and the budget is being returned with that correction.
According to Sec. 9-1(a) of the Charter for the Town of Windsor: “If any budget recommendation fails to pass, the council shall make adjustments and resubmit such adjusted budget recommendation to a vote”. I will leave it to the reader to decide if correcting an accounting error constitutes “adjustments”.
The accounting error was found related to the phase-in calculation of the Great Pond Improvement District. The error was $355,900.
Why vote yes or why vote no? The subtext of one Vote Yes sign I drove by in town had an addendum referring to safety services (police, fire, ambulance). The implication being that if the budget does not pass, essential services will be cut. It is disheartening to think someone would imply any of our elected officials would let essential services be cut, and disheartening to see the public threatened with the prospect. This scaremongering, around safety services and other services, is a bad look. And I know our Republican Councilors have advocated for increased spending on safety services.
Windsor excels at providing services, and a vote of NO is not a vote to cut services, but a vote to allow the citizens of this town to continue to pay their mortgages and stay in this town to enjoy those services. A vote of NO is a vote to allow Windsor tax-payers more comfort to pay their bills and provide for their families. A vote of NO is not a signal that essential services are not required, but a heartfelt ask to those that represent the Town to do the work needed to look for efficiencies and improvements, and not simply return the budget as-is and forego the democratic process because they are right and the voters are wrong.
I ask you to vote NO at the next referendum that is set for Tuesday June 18th from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
