Dear Editor:

I am a resident of Edgecomb and writing to encourage people to participate in the upcoming town budget meetings: 1. Informational hearing on the municipal and school warrant articles on Wednesday, April 29 at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall. 2. Meeting and vote on the School Budget Warrant Articles at the Edgecomb Eddy School on Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. 3. Vote to adopt or reject the Town Budget on Saturday, May 16 at the Town Hall. 

I agree that our recent tax increases were unsustainable for many people in town, but the solution to this is not to cut back on the quality of our school. The Edgecomb Citizens Tax Group on their website states that “The Edgecomb Eddy School Budget is the primary driver” of our taxes but doesn’t mention that the EPS (State Subsidy) Funding Formula allocates less money to towns like Edgecomb with high property values. The formula assumes all households in town can afford higher taxes and, of course, this is not true for many communities in Maine. Our town officials testified recently at the State Legislative Commission about the need to address the challenges that high property values place on lower income town residents.

Heather Sinclair, the current chair of the School Board, has posted a video explaining the 2027 school budget and how it compares to other towns. We are not more expensive than the towns around us. I highly recommend watching this to better understand the issues we will be voting on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDKhK_3y90c 

I understand that spending needs to be scrutinized, but short-changing our children should be a last resort, not the first. Our Edgecomb Eddy School Committee has worked tirelessly to come up with a responsible budget for next year, incorporating suggestions from residents while maintaining quality education. They deserve our support.

Please come and vote yes to support our local school this Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m.

Also, please encourage your friends and neighbors to attend the meeting and vote to protect our school.

Pam Wylie

Edgecomb