Bold Leadership.
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I chose Ward 10 twenty years ago when I purchased my first home on Parker Street. Dan and I chose Ward 10 again this year when we bought our home on Varney Street. We could have moved to another section of Manchester or to another town, but we chose to stay right here - in our neighborhood. We've come to know so many wonderful people here. I even work at a local small business just down the street.
This is our home - our neighborhood. 20 years ago, the property taxes on my modest home on Parker Street were just $1,900/yr. This year, they are $3,300 - and that is before the tax increase we'll all see in November. That's a 74% increase in 20 years. Oddly enough, 20 years ago there were 2500 more students in Manchester than there are now. Downtown was bleak - it would be years before the Verizon Wireless Arena would open and trigger the revitalization of our downtown and millyard areas. Today, despite the tax cap - or maybe in spite of the tax cap, the current Board of Aldermen passed yet another budget that exceeded the cap: $318.7 million. There is no sign that this spending trend will end. If we now have a more vibrant economy and far fewer students, shouldn't homeowners' tax bills be going down, not up? The truth of the matter is - our taxes go up every year and we get little or nothing more to show for it. I'm tired of waiting for someone else to fix this. I'm running for Alderman to be YOUR voice at City Hall. Your Neighbor. Your Voice. |