Mark Walter on the East Haddam Middle School Project

I have strong misgivings about the Middle School project in its current grandiose form. As fiduciaries of the town we would be required, if moving this forward, to place our seal of approval on a project that would:

a) Have the same financial impact as building a new elementary school, approximately $300 to $400 per family in increased taxes each year for the next 20 years.

b) Expand our current office space by more than 500%.

c) Nearly double the municipal debt of every man, woman and child in East Haddam.

To put this into perspective, the project is so huge, that EVERY resident in East Haddam could fit in the building without one touching the other.  The Board of Selectman is expected to make an independent judgment of issues that effect the future of our town and act on that judgment. This plan, in its current form, is wrong for the future of East Haddam.

I am, however, in favor of a project scaled down significantly in both cost and size.

Mark Walter

East Haddam First Selectman