A better plan for the businesses and residents. Tax relief, Police and fire dept. Focus.

   After my last blog entry I thought to myself. Taxing these bigger businesses would not be a great solution, they need to be able to strive here too. They bring jobs to the town and we should embrace that. I thought further, how could our businesses and commercial property owners benefit our town besides paying property tax and is there a way they could benefit from it.
   Then it hit me. As you all know we have the Robin Reyes Fund for the municipal brick and morter projects for projects over 4 million dollars. This is a great concept and something we should take advantage of, but then I had this idea. We need both a new Police and Fire Station. Both of those departments are our public safety. They benefit the residents and the businesses. It will be 13 straight fiscal years now we have had our property tax increased. Instead of depleting the fund to do the entire campus plan, why don't we reach out to our businesses and ask them to donate money towards these buldings?
   As I said we all benefit from the Police and Fire Department and the better facilities they have the easier it is for them to do the job efficiently and effectively. If we can pursuade our businesses to donate to this cause they would be eligible for a tax write off so the businesses would benefit two fold from the donation, they would give to our town and they would get a return on the investment by not only contributing to the community which is great publicity for them, but also they get a tax break that could help them in other ways. It would be a win win for everyone.
   Now to the Robin Reyes fund. So if the businesses would be willing to donate to fund these projects we then would have a surplus in the fund we aren't using. Well if elected  I would then propose we vote to use a portion of surplus in the Robin Reyes fund to solve two other issues in Dedham. Our Public Safety officicials (Fire and Police) do not have a current contract. I would vote to use a portion of the surplus to negotiate their new contract to give them the cost of living increases they so rightfully deserve. The next move is I would use the remainder to stabilize the current residential rate for fy '16 and we could either also fund a residential exemption for our homeowners who own and occupy their homes or perhaps even do an underide if we have the funds to do so. 
   I'm not going away from my stance that we need transparancy in our budget because we do and I feel by creating that we can do so much more for our citizens. If you entrust one of your votes to me on April 12th I will work to resolve these issues for you because I am one of you and we are all in this together. I think this plan if I am elected can then pave the way to the Senior Center and the Civic Complex I'd also like to accomplish.
   Again this is not about me, it's not about 5 Selectman, It's not about 270 Town meeting members. It's about each and everyone of us using our voice and casting our vote. We can get to better. We can get to a place where we can have a beautiful town by doing projects that are within reason and projects that won't break us with endless taxing. I can be your voice, I will be your voice. Let's start doing better together. Please go all in and take that leap of faith with me. We can do it together. Let's be the best Dedham we can be be. Again please entrust one of your votes to me on April 12th. I won't let you down.