Charlene Galenski: Blake Gilmore, a strong candidate for Deerfield’s Selectboard

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Published: 04-23-2024 6:42 PM

Modified: 04-24-2024 2:33 PM

On May 6, Deerfield will have its annual election for local positions. Blake Gilmore is running as a candidate for Selectboard.

Deerfield is facing some financially challenging times. Over the past few years, the town has voted to finance several multimillion-dollar projects. Ultimately, the burden for these projects’ expenses become the responsibility of taxpayers.

Recently, town reserves are being spent down at a pace that town revenues will not be able to sustain. If this trend continues, a reasonable budget will be all but impossible to produce. This can only lead to the request for a Proposition 2½ override, which will result in higher property taxes in addition to the tax increases already committed to the major projects.

Strong leadership is paramount to addressing these concerns. Blake Gilmore has the skills, knowledge, drive, and motivation to advance important initiatives to face these challenging times head on.

While speaking to many residents, there is consensus that fiscal responsibility is essential for town officials to prioritize. Currently, increasing property taxes are placing a financial burden on residents in Deerfield.

Houses that have been owned by some families for many years are now becoming unaffordable due to the serious increase in taxes over recent years. Seniors find it challenging to pay these higher rates. A domino effect may occur. Renters whose owners are faced with serious tax hikes may face increased monthly rents.

The dominos continue to fall for young families who may not be able to afford to live in our scenic town. Then the school’s populations may show a decline. The significance of these possible concerns is serious.

Blake Gilmore will provide strong leadership that helps to plan and prioritize future projects efficiently to assist residents’ pocketbooks. A serious effort to align grants to help offset future projects is an important consideration while being cautious to the strings attached to short-term grants. Please vote for Blake Gilmore on May 6 as a Selectboard member to allow the town to efficiently plan for future spending.

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