E-Mails I Have Received From People Venting

Hi All,

There are items on residents minds here in town that most likely won't be brought to light. I have edited the e-mails to prevent identification of the writers - None in my mind contained bad language or slanderous comments against individuals, so here are a few of the e-mails I have received. My posting them is not a reflection of my own personal feeling either way:

Email #01: (Regarding The Community Center)

As you know, there are retiree's who have moved here to build their "retirement" home. Usually, this "retirement" home is in the $350,000 or up housing market! I am NOT in this housing market price and I earn a good "above" average income! Perhaps this group of individuals would like to get together and "finance" such a building! This way the "user's" could pay for the building! This is not a new idea, it has been done in many areas. If you have children and if it is important to the parents, they will put out the monthly fee for such a building! If you do not have children, you may not be interested in such a building and you would not join!

Over all, it is the most conservative suggestion of all. To expect this small town to pay for such a large investment, P-L-E-A-S-E! And you should know, I do have children! I personally believe if you want Football for your child, just like I want dancing for my child, I pay every month for that service! WHY is the School (ie: TAX payers) paying for any part of the football program? If you were to NOT support football, would that make you a BAD PERSON? With the School (TAX payers) paying $1,000 per school year for football, I would like to know if the School is going to pay for Dancing classes too?

E-Mail #02: (Taxes - Trash Removal)

Well Henry, let's just wait and see if the people of Fairfax can pay their new tax bill come July when they see "how much" their FREE trash removal has impacted their TAXES! If you follow along with the Selectman Minutes you will see what we WERE paying for trash and what we ARE paying now is over $100,000 more per year! Now factor in the average increases like "gas" for road crew and heat for the building! Yeah, now you get the TRUE picture and then add in the same increases to the School budget! Of course, the School Board will tell you they have worked hard on this budget and again we will have a half a million dollar surplus in Spring! When will it stop? I bet the School will add another BUS this year! Remember, every year they will say the same thing..."It will be our last major purchase!" Why are we paying to have a Bus Mechanic on staff if we have a new fleet of buses? When will it STOP? But HEY - we have another seven or eight HUNDRED THOUSAND dollar surplus AGAIN this year!

E-Mail #03: (Seniors)

I feel horrible for the seniors of this town. They made Fairfax a place you want to live and raise a family and due to poor planning, these same folks may be in jeopardy of not being able to live here due to the increase in property taxes and school taxes! I read that the School budget it up over 5% this year. The question that needs to be asked is: Has the average resident's income gone up by 5%? Especially since we have had surplus of half a million dollars or more, every year in that same budget! I feel like I am the only one thinking like this.

This is really a huge probability within the next five-years many folks (young families and seniors) will not be able to afford to live in Fairfax due to taxes.

E-Mail #04: (Town Employee Health Benefits)

As a town resident I just found out what the select boad did. I am outraged about the town cutting the benefits of all employees we as a town should stand together and fight the select board on this. We pay almost $400,000 for trash we should be able to afford the health-care benefits for the town employees. if we need to cut the budget it should come out of the school not the town. They are paid way below what the state recommends. Lets fight for the employees of Fairfax