Hoping to ease any burden on Leominster's ratepayers

Dear Mr. Mayor,

I really appreciate the effort and due diligence that you and your team have put into securing funding for all these projects. I also appreciate the dedictation of you and your team for the countless hours you put into making this town a better place to live. However, with that said, this latest attempt at trying to placate us into thinking that a 2 1/2% tax increase coupled with a rate increase on water and sewar is acceptable is beyond understanding. Time and again I have reviewed your proposed budgets and have the same fustration as the city council. Where are the actuals. If I understand correctly the $1.2M increase taxpayer money coupled with the $3.2M (represents a 3% tax increase) in cost reductions yields a budget that doesn't layoff anyone. Well I suppose you could look at that way, but as one of those tax payers who have been laid off this represents money I don't have. We should also note that based upon past 2 1/2% tax increases all you've really done is passed the dirty layoff deed to the private sector. And I almost forgot about the complicated Library funding that we the general public were not smart enough to understand. I guess I understand now because that funding option happens to equal the tax increase this year.

I have voted for you every time you have run for this job, because for the most part in an up ecomony you have done well. This is now time to take different approach. Cutting taxes (yes and some services and workers) will help small businesses recover and turn this thing around.

I think the mayor is all about smoke and mirrors- he keeps telling us everything is fine, but if it were, he'd put the actuals on the city budget for all to see.