'Melrose MUST Stick To Its Current Budget': Letter

The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Melrose resident Diana Parziale:

I’ve been appalled at the propaganda being distributed on a regular basis as well as the fear-mongering, particularly to parents of young children.

I’ve been a Melrose resident and taxpayer since 1986 and have seen 32 years of mismanagement in our city. I’ve been here long enough to remember the “Tot Lot Fiasco” which effectively restricted development but at a great cost to local residents, ending up in multimillion dollar damages paid out. I also remember when our Park Commission and mayor at the time decided it was a good idea to allow Boston to dump landfill from the Big Dig into the Mount Hood Area—which turned out to be rather environmentally toxic to the delicate watershed in the area. And did anyone think of the accompanying vermin that may have hitchhiked along with the fill? I doubt it. Again, another major expense hit to the city and its taxpayers. https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/xn/melrrpt.pdf

Melrose has approved of overrides in the past, and I have been supportive when the middle school needed to be rebuilt. Also knowing the tax increase was temporary helped. But I can’t support this one. In the last four years, Melrose has increased my tax bill by 98%! I already feel like I’m being extorted and I can’t afford an extra penny. And I have a decent job—I can only imagine the dismay of seniors on fixed incomes.

Maybe if city planners hadn’t allowed the ridiculous overdevelopment and resulting bulge in the population that was the end result they wouldn’t be needing so many additional services. Again, absolutely no foresight in what would happen when scores of condo and apartment buildings were allowed to be constructed. It’s beginning to feel like Somerville and I never wanted to be in a city with that kind of density.

Melrose MUST stick to its current budget. I can’t go to my supervisor and just ask for a 42% increase in my salary—I’d be laughed out of his office. Why should this city think it can come to us with that kind of an increase?? I have to stick to my budget and so should Melrose.

Diana Parziale
20 Cottage Street, Melrose