jacoblund
After reading the article about the budget shortfall in Northampton (“City facing $800,000 gap in next year’s budget,” Jan. 31), I found myself with more questions than answers.
Now that we know that the city’s budget is so far out of line with its revenues, it would be nice if your reporter had told us why. We know that the real estate tax base grows every year by millions of dollars, and we know that not enough money goes toward paving streets, improving the schools, collecting the trash or any number of the city’s needs.
Is anyone minding the store, or does the city government consist solely of councilors expressing their heartfelt opinions on world trade, immigration, climate change and so many other issues that are certainly important but also far outside the purview of city government?
We can all now see a tax override coming but it would be nice to know why. Where does the increased property tax revenue go?
Paul Cherulnik
Leeds
