HB1278

I voted for the Tax Cap in 2025 for two reasons. Like many who voted for it, I was concerned with (out-of-control) spending. More importantly, I viewed the Tax Cap as a way of reducing the select-board's and budget committee's power and to transfer it to voting taxpayers who are ultimately footing the bill and living with the consequences of their actions. In other words, it really, really mattered that those who represent me do so only because it would be impractical to pose every question concerning governance to voters. HB200 (2025) took my vote, and changed it to something else. The change will likely make it even harder to spend, which as I have mentioned is an outcome I support. However, it actually changed my vote. That, regardless of justification or effect, is simply not the spirit of our Democracy. We should to preserve votes as much as possible, and utilize legislative fiat sparingly in situations that call for urgent and immediate action. I'd like to point out that Rep Turer and I have plenty to disagree about the tax cap, then, now, and very likely, going forward but that is quite irrelevant. I support HB 1278 because it is about the sanctity of the vote. The right thing to do is to rescind the tax cap at majority override, and let the town decide if they want to readopt it at supermajority override.

Yes please do find better funding sources for revenue besides just passing everything on to the towns and squeezing the property owners, many of whom are on fixed incomes.