Greenfield, we have a problem.

We’ve had it for a while, but it’s getting worse. People complain about it but, like the weather, don’t do anything about it.

The problem is spending.

Like a kid in a candy store, we’re on a binge, and we’re out of control. In a town that doesn’t have a track record of growing the tax base, we spend like we’re growing fast enough to support it, but we’re not.

The latest? The Town Council approved $83,000 ($20,000 this year and $63,000 over the next three) for new signs to help people find parking lots, buildings, and notable features around town.

If you read the article about the new signs, you learned, like I did, that the vote was based on … absolutely nothing. No facts. No data. Just warm feelings and good intentions. It was even suggested that “… the signs could actually help lower taxes by increasing revenue through tourism and creating a welcoming environment for families thinking about moving to town.”

Imagine this: “Honey, should we move to East Cupcake or Greenfield?” “I was leaning East Cupcake for their low tax rate, and I know, Greenfield has the second highest tax rate in the state and it’s probably going up, but their new signs really have me thinking.” Seriously?

If it were just $83,000 for signs, I’d let it go. But it’s not. It’s dog parks, waterslides, TV sets in front of Town Hall, and flatware sculptures. Last year, $115,000 for a new outdoor stage and a $200,000 tax break for a car dealer, not to mention a $60-plus million high school. We barely dodged the bullet of a $130,000 precinct cash giveaway. Coming up: $5.2 million for a new senior center. Five. Point. Two. MILLION! Then a new library, a new parking garage, a new police station, fire station, ambulance dispatch, and maybe a teen center. (Those are just the ‘optional’ projects. There are still things like the Federal Street school repair, $5.75 million, our share $1.3 million or so, and moving the School Department for $800,000.)

Amenities like parks and sculptures are wonderful, if we could afford them. I’d love to have new facilities for the police and fire departments and a new, state-of-the-art library, if we could afford them. Even as someone in their sixth decade, I still maintain we can’t afford a $5.2 million senior center. It’s not that we don’t want or need one. We just DON’T HAVE THE MONEY.

What can we do? The mayor’s and town councilors’ email addresses are on the (new) town website. Every time you hear about new spending that we have no data to support, and no money to pay for without raising taxes, e-mail them your thoughts. They’re not listening now, but if they hear from enough people, often enough, they just might.

If that doesn’t work, maybe we can afford one last new sign: ‘Greenfield! If you think our taxes are high now, just wait ‘till next year!”

Gary Greene is a Greenfield resident.