To the editor:

Please join me in voting “no” for the Barrington Middle School bond.  

According to town officials, the average Barrington resident will see a $450 increase to their taxes for the construction of a new middle school for the next 25 years. And this increase is just to pay for a new middle school.  

I understand that upgrades to the school are needed, however, were more affordable options ever seriously considered and vetted by the town? Is it really fair to say that a renovation of the existing building is not possible if no budget was provided to the design team before plans for renovation versus re-build were developed?  

After the town invested a large sum of taxpayer dollars into the athletic fields at the middle school, is it fiscally responsible to destroy these fields in order to build a new middle school? If the town is asking its residents to pay significantly higher taxes for the next 25 years, then I believe such a request should be made to cover the cost of upgrades that are absolutely essential to the infrastructure of our town and will benefit all citizens.  

How will our town manage to pay for future town-wide improvements while paying for a new middle school?'

Putting all our eggs in one basket, so to speak, does not make sense to me.  

Vote “no” for the middle school bond to support a more affordable building option and promote fiscal responsibility in Barrington.

Amy Herlihy

Barrington