Doug Lambert: Gilford residents should vote no on Warrant Articles 2 & 5

To The Daily Sun,

Gilford votes Tuesday. The ballot includes multiple Article questions regarding Capital Reserve Funds. Town and School Warrants continue to ask for funding using the Surplus Fund Balance from unexpended tax dollars of last year for current and future spending. These CRFs contain large amounts of taxpayer money.

Normal, healthy debate and scrutinization of large capital items gets glossed over. This creates a situation in which current and past taxpayers fund future spending. Bonding expenditures of capital items is the fairest method. Another way of characterizing the balances held in the CRFs is "over taxation" or "over budgeting." The process is not transparent and eliminates real debate over large cost proposals. For several years, a group of citizens has asked town officials to publish current reserve balances within the official warrant. Although agreeing to do so, they have once again not done it.

The school district is asking voters to add “surplus” funds to the Maintenance and Improvements CRF in Article 5 on the ballot. Don’t be fooled by this innocuous sounding request. The district is planning to use this to commence with the construction of a restroom and concession stand facility at the Meadows complex for a cost of over $700,000. Gilford spent two years debating the beach bathhouse facility that benefits a much greater number of people. Unlike that, the school district is flying totally under the radar with this proposal. This is a shady way to avoid scrutiny without any say whatsoever from the voters. The only way to stop it is to vote no on Article 5.

Additionally, a no vote on Article 2 reduces the budget enough to stop the project as well. Vote no on both questions just to be safe. And to send a message.

Doug Lambert

Gilford