The property owners in the town of Montague have a lot to think about.
We are going to be given a $25 million building to house our library books, and the taxpayers are responsible for half. I guess when I am low on fuel for my car and home, it will be a close and warm place to read these books.
We will soon be asked to vote on building a new tech school, which will also add to our tax bills. I am undecided about that one.
There are also rumblings about increasing trash sticker prices, even though we have paid some of the highest rates for a long time.
When asking for raises, department heads have compared the town of Montague to similar towns in central and eastern Massachusetts, even though their per capita rate is much higher.
I was recently the only person questioning a 3% increase on the sewer bill when the Stabilization and Retained Earnings accounts are large. There will also be 10 people working at the Clean Water Facility now, when there were only seven with two paper mills working.
It is time to connect with the Town Meeting members in your precinct with your thoughts before the next Town Meeting, because it seems that few items are voted down.
If you are a taxpayer in the town of Montague, where does the buck stop?
Barbara Hoynoski
Turners Falls