Letter: Loss of conservative voice will hurt Scarborough (Printed dec. 25, 2009)
To the editor:
I would like to thank Richard Sullivan for his many years of service to the people of Scarborough. Richard served on the Town Council for the past three years. He previously was a volunteer fireman for many years.
Richard was very dedicated in his duties as a Town Councilor. He was very well prepared for council meetings. He was a sound voice for fiscal responsibility and used a common sense approach to town business.
An avalanche of letters to the editor prior to the election sought to discredit Richard for being part of a so-called council majority. If sharing a philosophical belief on how our town government should function with some of his peers is considered being part of a majority then so be it. If this is the standard of measurement used, then the name Sullivan was part of a council majority that included councilors Crispin, Ross, Maroon, Kennedy, Downs, Wood, Foley-Ferguson, Ahlquist and Babine.
If this is the case then Richard deserves some of the credit for the growth management ordinance, impact fees, $3.5 million in land bond conservation, Haigis Parkway, Memorial Park, a $5 million increase in the rainy day fund, restructuring of ecomaine saving $15 million over a 10-year period, a $27 million addition to the high school and a $22 million increase (183 percent) in the school budget.
All of this was done while keeping the average tax rate increase at 2.5 percent over a 12-year period. Time will tell whether the new council majority can match this record. My prediction is taxes will increase 21 percent over the next three years (which matches the tax rate increases of the early 1990s). It may prove to be very shortsighted to vote off the most fiscally conservative councilor during tough economic times.
Jeffrey Messer
Scarborough
I would like to thank Richard Sullivan for his many years of service to the people of Scarborough. Richard served on the Town Council for the past three years. He previously was a volunteer fireman for many years.
Richard was very dedicated in his duties as a Town Councilor. He was very well prepared for council meetings. He was a sound voice for fiscal responsibility and used a common sense approach to town business.
An avalanche of letters to the editor prior to the election sought to discredit Richard for being part of a so-called council majority. If sharing a philosophical belief on how our town government should function with some of his peers is considered being part of a majority then so be it. If this is the standard of measurement used, then the name Sullivan was part of a council majority that included councilors Crispin, Ross, Maroon, Kennedy, Downs, Wood, Foley-Ferguson, Ahlquist and Babine.
If this is the case then Richard deserves some of the credit for the growth management ordinance, impact fees, $3.5 million in land bond conservation, Haigis Parkway, Memorial Park, a $5 million increase in the rainy day fund, restructuring of ecomaine saving $15 million over a 10-year period, a $27 million addition to the high school and a $22 million increase (183 percent) in the school budget.
All of this was done while keeping the average tax rate increase at 2.5 percent over a 12-year period. Time will tell whether the new council majority can match this record. My prediction is taxes will increase 21 percent over the next three years (which matches the tax rate increases of the early 1990s). It may prove to be very shortsighted to vote off the most fiscally conservative councilor during tough economic times.
Jeffrey Messer
Scarborough
Thank you Richard! Your name was dragged through the mud for no reason and only to advance the agenda of a small group of people. Thank you for your focus on the good of all the citizens of Scarborough, not just the nosiest.
Reply to this