Last week, I cheered on my son Kaleb as he walked across the stage and graduated from my alma mater, Windsor High School. Nothing could have prepared my heart for the flood of emotions I experienced: pride, joy, a little sadness, hope for the future—and gratitude. I looked around and saw how our children’s accomplishments and aspirations are built on the foundation of a supportive community. They say it takes a village; Windsor was that village for me when I grew up here, and it’s still that village for my family today. With gratitude comes the desire to give back in turn to preserve what we value, and that’s why I’m voting YES on the town budget tomorrow.
When my parents chose Windsor to live in as immigrants to this country, they wanted a place that prioritized education while remaining affordable. That is still the balance we seek to provide in Windsor. Unfortunately, state-mandated revaluation and skyrocketing home values are resulting in higher taxes for homeowners across Connecticut. That’s why the Town Council made $2 million in spending cuts this year, none of them easy, to the town and school budgets: to provide some real relief toward the revaluation-imposed tax hike. We’ve also added $144,000 in tax relief for seniors and veterans. Thanks to these cuts and the continuing diversity of our tax base, Windsor will remain one of the lowest-tax towns in the Hartford region, even after revaluation.
We’ve heard the proposals for cuts: 31 educator positions, Junior ROTC, and elementary strings. Decimating funding for reading education, gifted & talented education, school cleaning and maintenance, social/emotional learning, and adult education. Eliminating crucial support for the Shad Derby, Police Cadets, Fire Explorers, Windsor Freedom Trail, and domestic violence victim services. If a NO vote prevails, town buildings will have to reduce operating hours, the Wilson Branch Library would lose a vital tutoring program for students, and the Windsor Police Department would have to reduce its already strained workforce.
That is not the balance we seek in Windsor! We must not hollow out our schools and services, destroying our value as a community to save a little in the short term. Windsor has slashed school budgets before; it takes years for quality of services and the town’s reputation to recover. We value Windsor as a town where there’s a place for families, young adults, working people, and seniors of any background, color, creed, or income level—and a place where kids can grow up to be the very best version of themselves.Let’s keep it that way. Please join me in voting YES on Windsor’s budget tomorrow, June 18.
Nuchette Black-Burke
Windsor Mayor
