Opinion: Tewksbury School Project Will Increase Taxes By 10%

TEWKSBURY, MA — The following letter to the editor was submitted by Tewksbury resident Phyllis Giblin. Patch regularly publishes letters to the editor on a wide range of topics relevant to Tewksbury residents. To have your letter considered for publication, please send it to dave.copeland@patch.com.

Town Hall reports the following TAX INCREASES (figures including the yearly 2.5% tax override):

• 2019 TAX INCREASE = 5.9%
• 2020 TAX INCREASE = 10%

This is almost a 16% tax increase in just 2 years ! If Tewksbury is in DIRE NEED for a new elementary school building, why are the finances muddied up with an additional $10 million for an athletic field?

There are a lot of residents who are on fixed incomes, who can not continue to have their taxes increased SIGNIFICANTLY every year. Why is the booster club not encouraged to raise additional funds for the requested athletic field, and take if off the backs of the heavily burdened taxpayers?

I understand that sports is HUGE in Tewksbury, but when you are trying to make ends meet on a fixed income, an athletic field is not a priority.

PLEASE ATTEND THE MAY 6TH TOWN MEETING AT THE TEWKSBURY HIGH SCHOOL TO VOTE 'NO' on this proposed school project that is also forcing extra funding of a $10 million dollar athletic field in this single ballot question.

Phyllis Giblin

Tewksbury