BRATTLEBORO — I was fairly surprised to read the formal statement issued by Bob Stevens and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation board in response to the proposed 1-percent local-option sales tax.
This statement comes at a time when so much of our infrastructure needs to be updated, repaired, or replaced. At a time when the needs of our community are both significant and glaring. At a time when Brattleboro seeks to stretch its reach to find both visitors for leisure, as well as professionals and/or families to come and help our local economy thrive - a task that really requires said infrastructures to be up to date.
Opposition to the sharing of tax burden (our current property owners carry about 85 percent of the current municipal budget) seems shortsighted and smacks of the kind of “no new taxes” rhetoric that is completely unhelpful when making tough decisions like this one.
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I am not only disappointed in the furthering of such rhetoric, I am concerned that the language used in the commentary - which directly referenced the Selectboard - could be construed as divisive language used in the middle of two groups of people often working together on projects that seek to bring vitality to our community, a collaboration that demands trust and mutual respect.
I have no love of “adding new taxes”; however, I do have a love of adding revenue streams in a town with aged and crumbling roads, buildings, and other infrastructure. I also have a love of doing my best to hold all sides of a community.
My tendency to point out the needs of our most vulnerable community members is no secret, and - spoiler alert! - I will continue to do so through the tenure of my time on the board.
In that vein, it is my duty, and my commitment as your elected official to makes sure that I am taking the time to hear and address the needs of our merchants, and our commercial and residential property owners (and their tenants) as well.
To that end, turning my back on a possible revenue stream, one that I truly do not believe will lead to a new mass exodus of shoppers, would be an example of me not doing my best to meet the needs of our property owners.
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I fight daily for our vulnerable community members. I supported budget money for the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance to market Brattleboro, and I supported funds for the arts.
I must, then, support tax relief, particularly for our local property owners, as we live in a Dillon's rule state, which means that our towns have limited funding alternatives.
I look forward to a thoughtful and robust discussion on Saturday: about who in our community is truly served by Representative Town Meeting, and whether we cut valuable services or locate additional revenue to fund our community needs.