Washburn: Concord Senior Citizen Alert

Attention Concord senior citizens; get a good grip on the paint brush as the city council and school board are about to move the ladder.

Please try not to hyperventilate over the managers latest budget proposal that offers increase the city budget by a mere $40M while the school board is on its own terror mission with continuing declining enrollments and the grandiose middle school plan. I would love to say that help in on the way, but it would be a lie. The Council has rigged the budget hearings so that all of the new council members can only ask questions of department heads in writing. Look for not only this budget to be approved but will see some additional nuggets added for city councilors pet projects.

Will the last Concord senior forced to leave the city owing to unafordable property taxes or get a reversible mortgage please remember to turn off the lights.

This remains an avoidable tragedy. City elections are non-partisan in name only, wink, wink, nod, nod. With only one independent on the city council and 14 democrats dominating the council and the school board performing fiscal insanity with a similar composition, we are a victim of our own choosing.

I’m not sure how we get out of this mess but I do know that when you have dug yourself into a hole, you need to stop digging.

Although this is not exactly a road map to success, try contacting your city councilor to express your concerns. This may help with most councilors except Ali who is too busy suing the city. As far as the school board is concerned, they are on a mission and there is little chance turning their direction around but it is worth a try.