62°
After a little bit of soul searching and a whole lot of discussion with friends, neighbors and complete strangers, it has become very clear to me that it is possible to continue to provide a great education to the children of our community while maintaining the same level of public service that we, the tax-payers, have come to expect. In the coming months, opponents of this concept will come forward and explain to you that the Wachusett Regional School District is beyond poor and the member towns are hoarding millions in reserve funds. Neither statement is true, and both intend to entrench neighbor against neighbor in the classic argument of towns versus gowns.
As an elected official, it is my duty to represent every person in the Town of Holden. This includes students and seniors, parents and grandparents, employed and unemployed, democrats and republicans, and everyone else that make up the over seventeen thousand residents of our community. When Selectboard and School Committee members, both elected officials, come to the debate and are unwilling to discuss the merits of everyone’s ideas, it is an embarrassment to me and an insult to the residents who allow them to represent the public’s best interests.
It is my intent to work with anyone willing to develop and execute a plan that, in the end, will see to all the needs of our community. I will push past the obstructionists and instigators and seek like-minded public servants to work with me to accomplish this task. Our reward will be the knowledge that we respected each other and did all we could to resolve a very important issue.
It is also important to note, this is my position and I do not speak for any other elected official, and more importantly, this is not an official position of the Holden Board of Selectmen.
Anthony M. Renzoni
Comments (2)
As is usual with this type of thing, note the complete and total lack of just plain addressing the simple yet undeniable fact: Taxpayers have no more to give.
We are at a juncture where the superintendent of schools is proposing a $1 million ipad program, yet just last week an automated phone message went out from one fo the elementary schools wherein the principal explained that the forthcoming budget situation is dire.
I have nothing against either the author of this or the superintendent. I believe both to be good people who are acting in what they think is the best interests of the Town and the District.
But regardless of how sincere one may be in his or her belief that we need to ask the taxpayer to pay yet more in order to maintain the status quo, or to pay for $1 million in startup costs for an ipad program, the taxpayers are broke.
Period.
watched the regional selectboard meeting online didn't appear to me much respect was given to the superintendent, in fact it appeared most selectmen enjoyed bashing him at every chance. Hard to work together when one's mind is already made up.
You say its an embarassment when not willing to discuss the merits, it also an embarrassment when a selectman doesnt allow a respected school official opportunity to speak without prejudgement.