A recent letter to The Times said there was more than enough budget and rainy day funding available to repair damage to the ball fields at Golden Eagle Park. He stated there is just over $2 million in the rainy day bucket and park repairs could be accomplished using some of this and by deferring or cancelling other projects.

This means that efforts to correct the traffic issues at La Montana and Avenue of the Fountains and needed building repairs would be put on the back burner, likely increasing those costs. It is important to note that sound financial practice, and a budgetary concept adopted by the Town calls for $6.9 million in reserve funds, for which we are only 22 percent funded.

The writer also said that he would support $8 million in bonds to repair our roads. Bonds are not recommended for repair efforts and may even be ineligible to be used in this way. While bond obligations are time limited, the need for enough revenue to support the infrastructure is not; road and building repairs go on forever. Bonds are expensive. First there is the election, then fees for underwriting the bonds and, finally, the interest that must be paid on them.

During the failed effort to implement a town property tax, much was said about there being no way to be certain the tax revenues would be spent for the proposed purpose and that we had no recourse but our vote. I feel compelled to ask if we have any assurance that our state and federal tax dollars will be spent in the way we are told they will be, other than our vote come the next election.

We cannot continue to rob Peter to pay Paul if we want the town to grow and prosper.