To the Editor:

Equating median family income to the tax payers' ability to pay their real estate tax bills tells a story - no, it send a message. We are in grave danger of over spending our ability to pay.

The chart below clearly indicates our plight.

Goffstown is a community and the sum total of our community generates the median family income that the municipal operations and the school district draw from to operate. January 11th, at the public hearing of the town and school budgets, many people spoke wanting to increase the budgets, especially the school budget. 

The community is not Dr. Lockwood with a salary above $140,000 annually or, I expect, that of other articulate passionate speakers who plead for full funding of the School Board's school budget that evening. 

As a community, we cannot ever forget that Goffstown also includes hundreds if not a few thousand decent people on fixed incomes, folks having much lower paying jobs and people who have lost their higher paying jobs in this very tough economy. Really, are the children more important that these folks or are the children and their parents simply a part of the community?

Goffstown's tax rate is as high as it can be and should not be increased in any way. It would be heartless of those who want more to stick it to those who can hardly afford Goffstown's already higher than average property taxes.

What can you do? Come to the School Deliberative Session at GHS Heber Auditorium at 10AM on Saturday, Feb 4th (free childcare provided) and vote - hopefully against any increases. The Town Deliberative Session will be a 7PM on Monday the 7th at the same location.


Bill Gordon
Goffstown