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Everyone hates paying taxes, but we want to preserve the town services that we all appreciate. Town taxes pay for schools, emergency services, trash collection, the library, snow plowing, and a variety of other important services. Unfortunately, due to state cutbacks in aid to towns, Ashland is currently looking at a budget that is 6% smaller than last year. That's a significant cut, so there's talk of requesting a tax override to make up for the loss in state funds. Is raising taxes now the right answer? No. The state cut aid because of a decline in tax revenue due to the decline in the economy. Fortunately, the economy seems to be in recovery, so there is good reason to believe that some or all of the money that Ashland received in the past will be restored. Probably not in time for next year, but likely for the year after that. So I see Ashland's financial crisis as a short-term problem. Therefore we should look for a short-term solution, not a permanent tax increase. We will have to make painful cuts, but we need to do so in a way that minimizes the long-term impact on the town. For example, we can put off public works projects one year, but we can't put off education a year. Not all budgets should be cut equally. Wait one year However, if after one year, state aid hasn't been restored to previous levels, an override may well be necessary. We can only dig into reserve funds and postpone purchases to get us so far. We can manage for one year, but going beyond that will have a lasting impact on the quality of life in Ashland. Hopefully it won't be necessary.
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