Letter: This town needs to reduce its spending

Posted 1/20/25

To the editor:

When I read your Jan. 10 editorial proposing resolutions for Barrington, I found myself nodding my head in agreement until I came to this:

• Resolve to examine …

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Letter: This town needs to reduce its spending

Posted

To the editor:

When I read your Jan. 10 editorial proposing resolutions for Barrington, I found myself nodding my head in agreement until I came to this:

• Resolve to examine additional revenue sources in town that can reduce the extraordinary tax burden placed upon residents. And the tax bills will only be getting larger as the full effects of the $250 million school construction bond begin to reach deeper into residents’ pockets. 

You are correct to note that property taxes in our town are burdensome and about to get a lot larger. However, your suggestion to look for more revenue has it backwards. More revenue will inevitably come from the taxpayers, here or somewhere else. There is little room to encourage new business and new building, so where will this new revenue come from? In some municipalities, the search for ‘more revenue’ has resulted in things like speed cameras (ahem), new and onerous fees, federal grants that come with strings, and two-tiered tax policies that target businesses and landlords. And, these new revenues never seem to reduce the tax burden on residents.

Further down the list you encourage residents to:

• Resolve to spend less, save more and stop throwing things out just to buy more. 

Okay. Our New England culture is one of thrift. This is a good suggestion. So, why is it only good for residents and not our town government? Why should we be “examin[ing] additional revenue sources” instead of reducing spending?

Both our Town Council and School Committee need to channel that Yankee thrift and examine additional ways to REDUCE SPENDING.

Geoff Grove

Barrington

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.