Candidate Harris, Letter: 'Sky-High Taxes Driving Many Families Out of Wayland'

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George Harris is a candidate for Board of Selectmen in the Wayland Town Election on Tuesday, March 31. Harris looks to re-claim (Harris previously served on the board) one of two seats open, battling Lea Anderson and Mary Antes in the election.

Harris shared the following letter with Wayland Patch and Wayland voters.

Dear Wayland Voter:

We have three major problems in Wayland: (1) our divisiveness as a community, (2) high property taxes, and (3) lack of government transparency. I am the only candidate who understands these problems and is committed to solving them.

I have proposed specific plans to address these issues: (1) a concrete program to improve citizen satisfaction across the board, (2) a rolling 5-year comprehensive financial forecast to control spending and taxes, and (3) training our government volunteers how to comply with the law. These plans are described in my website.

Our sky-high taxes are driving many families out of Wayland, especially older citizens on fixed incomes, young families with both parents working, and others of modest means.

Over the last several years, the Board of Selectmen has mismanaged literally millions of dollars on huge cost overruns, lost lawsuits, financial blunders like OPEB, and hoarding of free cash. You have read about these in the media. Our town is hemorrhaging taxpayers’ hard-earned money but there’s little accountability and no end in sight. These serious mistakes simply do not occur in well-run towns.

Unsustainable and unnecessary spending must come under rational control, and it can be done while maintaining our excellent schools and other services. But it takes a different mindset by our leaders, beginning with the belief that long-range comprehensive financial planning can reduce wasteful spending. You make a plan and you adhere to it. If there’s no plan, there’s no control. It’s really that simple. But far too often the Selectmen succumb to wishful cart-before-the-horse thinking.

We can do much better, my friends, if we rise above the status quo thinking that produces ever-increasing taxes and the resulting loss of our most vulnerable and disillusioned citizens. I am confident that I can help make Wayland town government work better for everyone.

I care deeply about Wayland, my home for the past 43 years. It pains me to see our leaders waste our vital and limited assets. As an attorney, management consultant, and former three-term Selectman, I have the skills, knowledge, and experience to help restore confidence that our government is functioning for the benefit of all citizens.

Thank you for your consideration at the polls this Tuesday.

Sincerely,

George H. Harris

Candidate for Selectman.

Requests have been made to Wayland candidates to submit their letters of candidacy. We will run all submitted letters. Email charlene.arsenault@patch.com with tips, news and story ideas or your letters to the editor. Or just to say hi and share a pic of your cute pet.