I have just finished reading all the articles on Mr. James Soule’s proposal for secession (The Current, Dec. 6). I can only surmise that he is trying to bring attention to the state’s unfair revenue sharing, and indeed, shock value does get people’s attention.

But there are city financial responsibilities I fear are getting ignored. No matter what financial adversities we face in life, it is always important to maintain a workable budget, whether for a household or for a city. The people recently voted against increasing our taxes for the high school, a decision which was difficult for many, but shows that we simply cannot afford it. Yet there are many decisions made by the council and the city that increase our tax burden, but which we are not able to vote on – decisions that have consequences that officials haven’t appeared to consider.

Take, for instance, raising property valuations on the crest of the housing bubble. While the mil rate was dropped enough to make our taxes increase only a little, the fact is that the huge jump in the actual evaluations of our properties served to decrease the amount of education money we can get from the state. The town would have been well advised to take that in to consideration. The increase also serves to put many homeowners at risk of losing their homes if the mil rate is increased.

Then there was the decision to buy the armory. I have to wonder how much it will cost to fix that building up, a building that has been effectively abandoned for years, if the high school needs so much just to be rehabbed.

Our schools are falling apart, our police and fire departments are in desperate need and residents cannot afford a tax increase. It is time to prioritize our spending and get our budget in order, something that we elect the City Council to do and hope that they will focus on in the coming months.

Robin Elliott

South Portland