To the editor:
Two unrelated, separate things that’ve been skipped over from Peterborough’s Deliberative Session:
First, the sincerest comment regarding the sanctuary city articles came not from a natural citizen, but from a legal immigrant who became a citizen. Paraphrased, this woman said “Thank you so much for cheapening all the time, effort and money I put into becoming a U.S. citizen.” Personally, I think she made the most valid point of all. People who do not follow the established roadmap to citizenship should not be awarded this simply by virtue of their presence. Nor should their immigration status be effectively changed to “legal” from “illegal” by attempting to re-write how town employees do their jobs.
Second, regarding the article to fund a reserve for winter operations, Rich Clark sought to amend the article to limit the use of funds to variable expenses associated with snow removal – overtime, extra sand and salt. The important part of his point, which received little note, was that if town operating expenses are consistently higher in one area or another, those increased expenses belong in the operating budget. They should not be glossed over by moving them to “reserve fund” articles – a permanent reserve fund is really just part of the operating budget, at least for the forseeable future. The same idea applies to the $1million bond article for Town House repairs. Every 20 years or so, another $1 million bond appears, makes headlines, gets passed. Face it – as long as you own a building, you’re going to have to maintain it. Sounds to me like $60,000 per year is the right number. If you look at it as office rent for the town employees, it works out to about $5,000 per month. Whether that is reasonable or not is up to the townspeople to decide at the ballot box.
Rick Villaume
Peterborough