Submitted by Gina Gladstein
Greenwich is at a crossroads. We have a skyrocketing $1.5 billion dollar backlog in building projects and a Republican-controlled town government that has insisted on a “pay as you go” strategy that is responsible for the situation we find ourselves in. They have blocked the use of long-term financing that every other municipality and business uses to finance projects that we all agree must be accomplished.
It is not acceptable to have raw sewage back up into Old Greenwich School or have Central Middle School evacuated and closed for two weeks due to lack of structural integrity. By delaying infrastructure projects, we are now looking at increased costs in the tens of millions of dollars for every single one of our projects. Republicans claim that they are saving taxpayers money but, their short-sighted policies will cost the Town more money resulting in increased taxes.
Practically every single e-mail or Letter to the Editor from the Republicans warns that if the Democrats are elected our taxes will skyrocket. On what basis are they spreading these falsehoods?
Let’s look at the facts. In recent history, 2017 was the only time the Democrats won control the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) and the tax collector’s office. How did they perform? In the two short years they were in control, the Democrats oversaw an average mill rate increase of only 1.379% per year over the two years they were in charge compared to an average 2.94% increase per year over the preceding 10 years under Republican control.
The Democrats even used their tie-breaking vote to lower taxes, an action opposed by the six Republicans.
The Democratic Tax Collector revised the system of collections and collected $4 million dollars in overdue taxes that should have been collected on the Republicans’ watch.
This history refutes the Republican refrain that “Democrats raise taxes”.
Who truly has the skills and vision to bring our town finances into the 21st century? I believe there is no contest. The Democrats have proven themselves to have the necessary smarts and leadership. We need that vision and leadership! Please join me in supporting the entire Democratic ticket this November.
Gina Gladstein