Dear Editor:

There’s been a lot written about Edgecomb budgets and taxes.

The school is 60% of the budget, so gets the most attention.

The solution isn’t to close the school, but rather to address its efficiency. We all know it would be much less expensive to bus students to Boothbay, so painful as it is, now is the time to take a hard look at the added programs, salaries and efficiency problems being discussed.  We can still give Edgecomb students the best possible education, and keep Edgecomb Eddy an asset and focal point of the town, as it should be.

In hindsight, mistakes produced spiraling costs and huge budgets, largely rubber stamped by Edgecomb authorities. The resulting 32.4% tax increase, one of the highest in the United States, prompted a closer look, which showed the scale of the increase was largely avoidable.

We are fortunate to have many highly qualified residents with financial experience from running larger towns and major businesses. The vast amount of data produced shows some obvious ways in which Edgecomb can save literally thousands of dollars, without losing a great school. It will be a huge asset for the town going forward and help to avoid this type of problem in the future.

Past decisions have often been made by a handful of voters, so whatever your views, please do come out and vote on May 17, so decisions represent the feelings of a large portion of the town.

The Edgecomb's tax increase last year affected everyone, prompting the Selectmen to encourage a fact finding group. If we work together, we can get the town on a better financial footing. Visit edgecomb.me for more facts, their sources, some recommendations, and letters from the neighborhood.

Ed Hamilton

Edgecomb