Amherst Center: Think globally, vote locally

Published on October 24, 2008

Election day is almost here. While the presidential race has our attention, don't forget some other key votes that will affect us locally. Here are three.

Aaron Hayden for Select Board. Challenging times require dedicated, knowledgeable leadership. There is no other candidate, indeed few people in town, with the combination of experience, collaboration and leadership that Aaron Hayden would bring to the Select Board. We would be fortunate to have his expertise and down-to-earth, problem-solving manner on the Board as it makes key decisions about the complicated issues that affect Amherst's future.

Aaron's successful career as a project manager coupled with his experience as chairman of the Planning Board, secretary of the Comprehensive Planning Committee and member of the Amherst Redevelopment Authority gives him exactly the experience the Select Board needs as it implements the master plan and seeks new revenues through Amherst-appropriate economic development. His friendly, informed and persuasive leadership will be a real asset to the Select Board, as it was on the Planning Board last spring, leading Town Meeting to pass four very important zoning changes which are already expanding our tax base.

Aaron recognizes that we must be sound environmentally as well as fiscally. A member of the board of directors for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment and a charter member of the Amherst Energy Conservation Task Force, Aaron will be a strong voice for preserving Amherst's scenic, rural beauty and working farmland.

Aaron has shown a commitment to the time-consuming work that is needed to bring all parties involved into the process while moving things forward.

Unfortunately, that is not the case with other candidates. For example, while Vladimir Morales served for many years on both the School Committee and Town Meeting, his attendance record was only about 50 percent. We need leaders who will be there for us.

We will be casting our ballots for the experienced, collaborative leadership of Aaron Hayden.

No on Question 4. Select Board members did a good job of covering the arguments for and against this question last week. On the one hand, CPA money has been matched by the state, it exempts the first $100,000 of home value in its assessment, and it's a relatively small amount of money - $56 per year for the average ($322,000) Amherst house. On the other hand, the town is struggling to pay for its essentials, the state aid picture going forward is bleak, and in this climate Question 4 asks people to pay higher taxes that will not cover our essential budget items.

While we appreciate the things the CPA lets Amherst do, the question here is not whether we will have a CPA fund or not. The question is whether we want to double that funding from its current $600,000 per year to $1.2 million per year. We have come to believe that in this fiscal climate we should make do with our current level of CPA funding, rather than increasing this area while we face cutting essentials like teachers, EMTs and road repairs.

No on Question 1. We strongly urge you to vote no on Question 1, which would eliminate the state income tax. Taxes are never popular, and in tough economic times we might think, "Hey, I need that money more than the state does." But don't be fooled, this will not save you money.

In Amherst we rely on the state for about 30 percent of our town budget and 40 percent of our regional school budget. Despite proponents' claims that this will put lots of money in our pockets, it's a shell game. Who do you think our town is going to turn to for help if this passes? That's right, it would be "easy come, easy go," with a lot of pain and chaos mixed in. Probably most of you agree with us on this issue. So, please reach out to family and friends in other parts of the state who will also be voting on this, and urge them vote no on Question 1. (More info at votenoquestion1.com.)

Amherst Center is a monthly column which appears in The Amherst Bulletin that seeks to portray local issues from a centrist perspective. It is written by Town Meeting members Baer Tierkel and Clare Bertrand and School Committee member Andy Churchill. Amherst Center appears in The Amherst Bulletin on the last Friday of each month.