This article was submitted to LongmeadowBuzz by Richard Foster- a long time resident of Longmeadow and former member of the Longmeadow Select Board- for consideration by town voters.
There is a clear difference between a Need and a Want.
The Selectmen are the executive branch of government for our Town. They have the authority and burden of steering our Town into the future while employing adequate fiduciary responsibility. Often through analysis and research they project program execution to meet the needs of our Town well into the future. To accomplish these tasks, they must be keenly aware of many different long-range programs and analysis to determine if current day practices meet the needs of our future. This is not an arena for impulsive behavior and shortsighted planning.
Our Select Board is currently pushing for the installation of a town-owned fiber Internet system. To my knowledge this proposal has never been identified in any of our formal planning documents as a need for our community. Accordingly, this is not an identified need for our community. Its origin is not supported by any analysis of long-term needs, it simply arrives on our planning horizon being sponsored by the current Chair of the Select Board. Having it be something relatively simple is one thing for spontaneity planning, but we are talking about an enormous financial burden being place on our community as we push aside the funding needs of known critical deficiencies.
We are talking about funding a twenty-five to thirty million dollar ($25,000,000- $30,000,000) plus Town-owned fiber internet network while we can’t afford to patch potholes and remove hazardous trees. This is not prudent fiduciary management. Don’t be fooled by the old “it will fund itself” routine. It hasn’t worked in the past and it won’t work in the future. Take a deep look at your Enterprise Accounts for Water and Sewer in Longmeadow and you will have your answers. This is not advanced planning; it is chasing the next shiny object.
Our town in FY2023 had a $24,352,528 item identified as deferred and unfunded maintenance needs on our roadways. We had a $50,327,612 unfunded liability on our Regional Retirement system. We had a $24,352,528 unfunded liability in OPEB (other post-employment benefits) retirement fund. These are not discretionary expenditures, they are driven by law or directly connected with quality-of-life services in our Town. Decaying roads and other infrastructure are not only visually troubling and an inconvenience for our residents it also will affect our property values. Failure to address retirement system liabilities could harm our bond rating and increase lending costs.
This doesn’t even start to scratch the surface on the current and future needs of our Town. Other resources such as buildings, athletic fields, drainage systems, water distribution systems, sewage collection systems, sidewalks, etc. all have extensive identified unfunded needs that are being overlooked as we chase the next shiny object while disregarding the true needs of our community.
If all of this wasn’t as concerning as it is, some members of the Select Board are now pushing the concept of them being assigned as members of a Municipal Light Plant Board. One more task to divert their attention away from the true needs of our community.
As residents the choice is ours, do we want long-term financial stability or are we content with chasing the next shiny object? The Select Board should focus on their duties as elected officials instead developing new projects through impulse driven planning.
Richard Foster, Longmeadow resident
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