Dear Editor:

On March 8th, I attended a presentation concerning the Edgecomb town budget. I came in support of the citizens’ group formed to investigate ways to lower our tax burden. Because sixty percent of the town’s budget is spent on education, much of the presentation focused on the high cost of educating our children; current budget information was analyzed, and suggestions were offered to curb expenses and improve the academic performance of Eddy School. 

Following the presentation, a current of bias and distrust flooded the room. Edgecomb residents fighting an unsustainable tax burden chested-up to the Edgecomb school board, teachers, and parents. Someone in the crowd suggested working toward a compromise. The Edgecomb Schoolboard responded with a flat "no" – the Education Budget it was already "bare bones" and, perhaps, Edgecomb taxes are not high enough. When I was employed as a department chair at a state university in Tennessee, the citizens voted to cut education funding. I had to trim 20% from my ‘bare bones’ budget and there was no room for arrogance in the conversation.  

My husband and I worked for 40 years to purchase land and build a cabin in my home state. Initially, the $4,000 property taxes seemed high, but we set aside funds each month to pay the bill. Then the taxes rose to $7,000 and in 2024 the price tag was $11,200. Of course. we want our children to have the best education but the median age in Edgecomb is 54 and a substantial portion of the older population lives on fixed incomes; they cannot pay the unsustainable increases in our property taxes. 

Truth can be found in the cracks of a dispute. Conversations about the 2026 Town Budget should continue, compromises must be considered. We all carry bias based on experience. My bias:  if we continue to ignore the arrogance, lack of transparency, and unreasonable budgets put forth by the Education Committee, supported by the Edgecomb Town Supervisors, Eddy School better beef-up its Food Bank because many of us living on fixed incomes will be heading there for dinner. 

Cynthia Marsh

Edgecomb