Submitted by Peter E. Berg, Cos Cob
Under mostly Republican majority control, the powerful Greenwich Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) has been motivated by “extreme austerity.” In fact, “extreme austerity” has been the driving force of the BET majority for decades.
In 1992, the BET majority cut the budget of Greenwich Library by an amount equal to the budget of the Cos Cob branch and sent a note saying, in effect, “We think you have too many branches.” The Library Trustees obliged by voting to close Cos Cob Library, which had served our community since 1930. The Friends of Cos Cob Library (I was its treasurer) appealed that decision, twice. Only after a furious public campaign did the BET majority cave and restore the Library’s budget. Cos Cob Library survived.
In 2003-2004, I spent two miserable years on the BET in the minority party, where I was helpless to stem the majority’s “extreme austerity.” Since then, I have served on the RTM. Note: The RTM cannot increase the Town budget and almost never reduces it, because the BET majority has already stripped every budget bare to the bone. The BET can finance more programs and projects, raising our quality of life, without raising our taxes.
Often, the BET majority defends its extreme austerity by claiming to protect low-income senior Home owners from unaffordable property tax increases. But this claim is hypocritical. The budget for Greenwich’s Senior Tax Relief Program has remained at $1 million for over 20 years. Last year the program spent only $787,000. Greenwich’s credit amounts and income eligibility are one-half of Stamford’s senior tax relief program. If the BET majority really cared about low income senior homeowners, it would double the budget for that program.
This year, the BET majority cut 35 capital projects requested by our Republican First Selectman, including requests by Greenwich Library to repair its elevators downtown and funds to renovate Cos Cob Library, now 25 years old and in need of major maintenance. The BET majority also cut projects requested for the Fire Department, the Police Department, and by the Board of Education.
Enough! We need a change in the majority on the BET. Please join me in voting for all six Democrats running for the BET.
Peter E. Berg, Cos Cob