I plan to vote no on the Proposition 2½ override on May 2.
It’s not that I don’t understand the importance of the new school, and why the Town Council considers it such an urgent priority. There’s no question we need the school — in addition to the other planned town projects. But in the face of Amherst’s decades-long failure to create a fair tax base, I just can’t support voting for a measure that will only deepen the imbalance.
It isn’t about the money. I’m privileged to be in a position where a few hundred dollars added to my taxes doesn’t present a huge problem. It’s that I’m angered by the assumption that property owners — who thanks to Amherst’s long-standing business-unfriendly policies already bear nearly the entire burden of town taxes, which are among the highest in the state — will always step up to bail the town out when it decides there’s a need.
A “yes” on the override will only validate that assumption, and kick the can of rethinking Amherst’s traditional hostility toward business and commercial development down the road again. Not to mentionmake Amherst properties even less affordable than they already are.
It’s entirely possible to balance historic preservation with sensible economic expansion. But Amherst has not done that, and I don’t see much sign that this is changing. As long as that’s the case, I will vote no on any override, regardless of the project.
Victoria Strauss
Amherst