Livingon Borrowed Tme
On Aug. 3, a minority of the Franklin City Council used the tax cap’s supermajority requirement to block a legal mechanism proposed by an alert citizen who had done her homework to move about $600,000 outside the tax cap for use by the schools. They did this despite the overwhelming majority of public testimony standing firmly in favor of supporting our students and classrooms.
One reason Franklin’s school finances are struggling is an anticipated cut in state funding based on Concord’s claim that our city’s poverty rate has decreased. The irony is that the councilors used poverty as a shield to cut spending while living with state cuts predicated on the exact opposite claim.
It is heartbreaking to watch councilors strangle school funding just after Franklin High School was honored with the prestigious High School of Excellence Award. Franklin’s students and educators are achieving extraordinary things, but they cannot sustain this excellence without adequate resources.
There is an old saying that doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Well, 30 years of doing the same thing has left City Hall shuttered, turned the roads into obstacle courses and left essential services on borrowed time.
It is time for a change. Vote for city councilors who believe in prudent investment in our community. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, choose Rob Desrochers, Jr. in Ward 1; Emily Bieber-Harris in Ward 2; and Stephanie Wolff in Ward 3.