Lewisboro Budget Cuts Not Enough

Dear Editor:

I worked for Villarina Pasta at the Cross River Shopping Plaza for over ten years before losing my job when they closed earlier this year. Sales had declined by over half and my employer could no longer stay in business. In the course of my long employment in Cross River, I witnessed many former customers leaving town due either to unemployment or a general inability to pay the high property taxes. Recently and sadly I have joined their ranks.

So it was with great shock that I learned of Mr. Parsons’ proposal to increase taxes by 17%. While I understand that the 3 Republican board members have since cut his budget proposal to under 10%, that is not enough.  

According to press coverage, Bedford board members are working hard to stay under the State's 2% cap.  They dropped full time employees last year to reduce benefit costs, yet one of Mr. Parsons' first acts in Lewisboro was to add a full-time employee to the building department.  

Lewisboro's real estate prices are already falling faster than those of our neighboring towns which makes it even harder for those being forced to sell their homes. There is no justification for Mr. Parsons’ adding more employees and then blaming rising benefits costs for his own engineering of what is still a monstrous tax increase.

Nelly Bonito
Cross River