By Blox Content Management

Copyright berkshireeagle

To the editor: I live in Great Barrington, and I live on a budget.

I don’t want my taxes to rise more than they must. That’s why I will vote “yes” for the new high school.

Opponents point to declining enrollment, but elementary grades are steady and even growing; those students will soon be Spartans. Others say we spend too much on students from other towns. In fact, those students bring in revenue. When we stopped accepting them for one year, the district faced a shortfall.

The bigger issue is money. Studies in Maine, Vermont and Ohio all found the same thing: Closing or delaying investment in schools doesn’t save money. Families leave, property values fall, businesses close and the tax base shrinks. Taxes don’t go down; they go up.

The real choice isn’t whether taxes rise but how. One loan at a low rate is efficient. Endless repairs and special assessments at higher rates are a waste.

A “yes” vote would solve the problem once. A “no” vote would mean higher bills and nothing to show for it. I’m concerned about my taxes. That’s why I’m voting “yes.”

David Logan, Great Barrington