Letter: Vote ‘yes’ Nov. 2 on Portsmouth school facilities bond

Posted 9/20/21

To the editor:

I support the Portsmouth schools facilities bond even though I don’t have children.

I have enjoyed living in Portsmouth for the past 68 years. I live in a neighborhood …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: Vote ‘yes’ Nov. 2 on Portsmouth school facilities bond

Posted

To the editor:

I support the Portsmouth schools facilities bond even though I don’t have children.

I have enjoyed living in Portsmouth for the past 68 years. I live in a neighborhood of modest little ranch houses built in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Lately, homes that go up for sale in my neighborhood usually sell for a lot more than ever. And they often sell within a week or two.

New homeowners have told me that the primary reason they moved to Portsmouth is because it is safe and quiet, and they may have kids someday, and they know that Portsmouth schools have a good reputation. 

I will not personally be sending any kids to school in Portsmouth, but it is still important to me that we don’t let the schools fall apart. I care about my town.

Nov. 2, 2021 is “Voting Day” in Portsmouth for a School Department bond issue. The monies would be spent only on repairs and upgrades to the buildings that house Melville and Hathaway Elementary schools, the middle school and the high school. This includes work to make the buildings and bathrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Repairs would be made to roofs and air handling systems. Asbestos would be removed.

Right now, the State of Rhode Island has a program that will reimburse the town 40 percent of the money we spend on the school buildings. It is not known how long this program will be available.

It is estimated that Portsmouth residents who have a $500,000 home would see their annual taxes go up by $113.40. To me, that seems like a reasonable sum for maintaining the quality of our community. If we hold off on these repairs, we can count on the cost of repairs in the future to grow.

Please find the time to vote. If going to a polling place on Nov. 2 is inconvenient, you can get an application for an absentee ballot on the website of the R.I. Secretary of State: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/Content/Pdfs/Calendar/PortsmouthSpecialReferendumMailBallotApplication1122021web.pdf

Mark J. Katzman

78 Mail Coach Road

Portsmouth

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.