Commentary

Commentary
By Gray Councilor Gary Foster

Though somewhat fewer than last year, the turnout of Gray's citizens at this year's Town Meeting was relatively high, especially for a sunny and hot Saturday in June, and I commend and thank all who participated.

The voters have made their decision, and Town Meeting resulted in a municipal budget that will reduce the mil rate for the coming fiscal year. As property taxes were offset this year by the utilization of undesignated funds on the municipal side, and additional state aid on the SAD side, as well as other revenues, the new Council will be faced with the challenge of trying to keep potential future tax increases to a minimum when these additional funds become limited or unavailable, but I am confident that we will accept the challenge with enthusiasm.

Contrary to the suggestions of some, other than being a registered voter in Gray, there is no prerequisite for participating in our Town Meeting. In fact, Town Meeting is the only forum where you can decisively impact the budget that you are funding with your tax dollars. Ironically, some of those who suggested that you were not entitled to vote on the budget if you did not participate in the budget discussions, did not participate themselves. By their own definition, they should not have been entitled to vote or express an opinion of those of us who did participate, but they did.

The reality is we have every right to vote or express our opinion on this, or any other issue.

Certainly anyone may attend and participate in workshops, but the bottom line is Citizens cannot amend the budget at Council workshops. Town Meeting is the only opportunity for citizens to amend the budget if they so desire. It does not matter how much effort went into preparing the budget, if it is not acceptable to those who pay the bills, then it must be amended.

We, the members of the Council have been chosen to conduct the business of the citizens of Gray. We are representatives, not rulers, and the voters retain the right to evaluate our performance both at Town Meeting and municipal elections. In his Report of the Committee of Correspondence to the Boston Town Meeting, Nov. 20, 1772, Samuel Adams stated: "In the state of nature every man is, under God, judge and sole judge of his own rights and of the injuries done him. By entering into society he agrees to an arbiter or indifferent judge between him and his neighbors; but he no more renounces his original right than by taking a cause out of the ordinary course of law, and leaving the decision to referees or indifferent arbitrators."

In other words, though the Council is charged with representing you in our community, under no circumstances do you forfeit your rights by electing us to represent you, and this includes your right to decide your town budget.

Gary Foster, Gray