To the editor

I've been told there are two sides to every story, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth. I hope this is the case with the three budgets that have been submitted to the town for the Financial Town Referendum (FTR) on May 21. By the way, the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This year I found myself in disagreement with the Budget Committee's final numbers. I've been watching their meetings, and hoping they would reduce the spending to a level the citizens can afford. In the end they did not revisit the numbers so the huge increase requested stayed in the proposed budget. 

Several Budget Committee members tried to make cuts all through the process, but their attempts fell on deaf ears. Most of their cuts are in my budget since they made sense.

On petitioner Katz's side is a budget that cuts very deep, and pulls money from the general fund. I supported Justin Katz's budget last year, and worked to promote it. This year we disagree because I think his cuts will end curbside trash pickup. Pulling money from the general fund every year is not the best thing either; we need some reserve for a rainy day. The low number sounds good, but are we willing to live with the service cuts?

Because we disagreed, I've proposed a budget that's in the middle, maintaining services by cutting waste. I believe the budget submitted by myself will not hurt working families and retiree's on fixed incomes.

The recreation and beaches will be maintained, trash pickup will continue, and the schools get the money they need. My budget was a group effort with many hours of research sitting in dozens of meetings, and don't let anyone tell you differently.

I feel strongly that we can live within our means and still have a great town. We have to be vigilant in our pursuit to end waste while preserving quality. I think my budget achieves that goal. Remember to vote at the upcoming FTR. Together we can make Tiverton a town we all love.

Joe Sousa

Tiverton

Mr. Sousa is a town council member.