I read with disinterest the diatribe of Sharon Stearns in a recent letter [see The Reporter, 2/21/24] concerning the Brandon town budget, the Selectboard, the Town Manager, the Deputy Town Manager, the Clerk’s office, the use of EVs in the Police Department, the use of a police dog, the Brandon Fire District’s plan to update our public water system, the plan for a solar array, the school budget and everything else that’s wrong with the world.
Underneath all the complaints, I believe, is a hidden agenda and I don’t believe that it all has all to do with increase in taxes. If I could pick apart every point, it would turn into my diatribe, so I won’t. But there is a failure to mention that if the paving of roads were an appropriation (as it used to be) the Town budget would appear to be lower. But you know what? Roads need to be paved. And if they were not, guess who would be complaining about it? There is a failure to mention that canine police dogs are not that effective and there could be a cost saving not to have such a unit. There is a failure to mention that there is an implicit bias against trying to reach goals to reduce greenhouse emissions through the use of EVs and solar arrays. And finally, there is a failure to mention that all school districts in Vermont are having the same budget issues as RNESU and that the complaints should be directed at the state level and not at the local boards who have tried very hard at keeping costs down. Vote “YES” for the Brandon Town budget and vote “YES” for the RNESU school budget.
Jay Merluzzi
Brandon VT
