Opinion: Why I Am Running For Reading Select Board

A Letter to the Editor from Select Board candidate Carlo Bacci:

I’m Carlo Bacci and I’m running for Select Board because I’m concerned with the direction in
which the town is heading.

Our Finance Committee has become the launching pad for many new Select Board members, and although some people view that as the most important attribute I ask you to consider why I do not. When I say I want budget investigation and oversight it is mainly because we need transparency and accountability in our Town and School budgets. When did the FinCom last audit these budgets? When I say I support running the town and school budgets with available funds it’s because the Finance Committee has become dependent on balancing budgets with free cash, our savings account. I support an override moratorium because the Town has made five increases to the tax rate beyond 2-1/2% since 2003: people on fixed incomes desperately need a break. I support fair taxation of our small businesses because the majority of the small business owners are also our neighbors. Our businesses support the community through donations and yet our Select Board slapped them with a split tax rate that raised ZERO in additional tax revenue! Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth! The Board also failed to grant sufficient water and sewer rate relief by maintaining reserves in excess of demonstrated needs. I support common-sense redevelopment of our industrial area and oppose spending $30M to move the DPW to Camp Curtis Guild, a terrible location. We cannot jump into costly projects when we still have projects we haven’t finished paying.

If you agree with me, please vote for me, Carlo Bacci for Select Board on Tuesday, April 2! Thank you.

Carlo Bacci, 494 Main Street