Seen and Heard

These are public comments or observations which have been reported in a public forum.  We have all done our best to provide an account of what was said.  Transcripts of meetings are not available.  Formal minutes are available to the public after they are approved by the town officials.  This process can take several months.  

1/29 Board of Selectmen's Summit meeting with School Committee, Appropriations and Capital. 

Gil Benghiat  spoke about Proposition 2.5 and the impact of the 2003 failed override, citing his reaction to seeing "senior citizens struggling to take heavy barrels out of their trunk [at the Hartwell Avenue compost facility]."

"I want to live in a town that funds what is important.  I want the choice of an override.  The type of override is important too.  I want a fully bundled override.  Otherwise, we are pitting old against young and neighbor against neighbor.  Is that the kind of town we want?"

Andy Flaster: " ... a multitude of reasons abound for this rapid increase in expenditures, including unfunded state mandates, a rapid increase in the enrollment of students in the public schools and a dramatic increase in health care costs for town employees."

"...I believe the town should hold another override vote which bundles all proposed services that will be restored or cut if it fails. It does not serve the town to set one constituency against another."

Debbie Strod :  "Please work on tax abatement for those of us who can’t afford it, and please use some of the money to work creatively on additional, stable revenue sources.  Give us an override we can live by, comprehensive and looking toward a sustainable future.   . . . it seems obvious to all of us out here that 2 ½ percent just isn’t enough to make things work. "

Ann Kane spoke about the losses at the town library.

"We should all be alarmed that, because of budget cuts, this year Cary Library failed to meet Massachusetts State Library Certification Standards. Although our library staff is working to secure a temporary waiver, they are anxious that if full certification is not restored soon, neighboring libraries may one day refuse to honor a Lexington library card."

Gil Benghiat

Andy Flaster

Debbie Strod

Ann Kane