After watching the first Brunswick Municipal Budget meeting on March 30, I have the need to express concerns over what may be another very high tax increase this year in Brunswick as, with just the Municipal side, we are already looking at almost a 4.5 percent increase in our property taxes. I am sure the School Department will be even worse.

I was really surprised to hear the suggestion by town councilors saying that everyone needs to make cuts, and one very good idea was to scale back high paying salary jobs. That is an excellent idea. Another idea was to freeze the pay of all town employees, but that will never happen either as teacher contracts have already been negotiated as well as many municipal contracts. There is a very aging population here in town that are lucky if they have a 1.5 percent Social Security pay increase, and many are having trouble paying their already existing expenses as everything has gone up considerably.

The issue of a town wide revaluation is in the CIP pipeline for an estimated $450,000 — plus or minus — but will go out to bid. It has been 15 years since the last revaluation and there are so many properties in Brunswick that are not paying their fair share. The town is also in violation of State Law as it is 5 years past due.

It needs to be done as I for one would like the mil rate go down to under $20 per 1,000 as discussed last night. One example is a home assessed at $289,000 and was sold for over $1.5 million. Residents should go the assessor’s website and look at some of the property sales from 2010 to 2013, as there is a way too big gap in assessed and sold value. The 2014 site has been changed so the comparison is not there.

Parks and Recreation wants a swimming pool ($3 million), a 2.6- mile bike path ($2 million), plus many other items, too numerous to include. If they want these things, they need to raise the funds so the taxpayers don’t pay for them as they are not necessities.

There is also in the CIP pipeline $2 million for Cook’s Corner Road construction. If the developers want this, they need to be the ones paying for it, not the town residents.

There are yearly requests from the Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick Housing, People Plus and the list goes on. The Brunswick Housing Authority has already received this year a grant in the amount of $231,000. The library has received a grant for $92,000 and they also have a fund raising goal set at $98,000. People Plus has an ongoing fund raiser with a goal of $50,000 this year.

There are so many grants available in the state and if we don’t apply for them, some other town or city will. No doubt it takes time to do the paperwork, but all these groups need to start applying so the burden on the town residents will be way less. Groups also need to start fundraisers as there are so many businesses or private individuals in town that may just help if they are asked. Doing this will also lighten the taxpayer burden.

I hate to think what the School Board will come up with for their increase, as they always inflate their budgets by $2 million-4 million every year, and I have not heard the rollover amount yet from Mr. Oikle. They have already put the demolition of Jordan Acres School out to bid per the CIP with an estimate of $325,000, plus or minus. This tells me that they still have a new school on their minds.

It is too bad that the School Budget always goes up, and it is time for residents to speak up. One suggestion is to have a principal for each school, but why not have just one floating vice principal for all schools? That would be quite a hefty savings on their budget and lighten taxpayers burden. You will not see their budget online until they pass it and that is not right.

Residents need to voice their concerns not only to the Town Council but at every School Board budget workshop, saying drastic cuts need to be made as residents can no longer afford all that they are requesting in the budgets. People, e-mail or call your Town Council and School Board representatives, voice your opinions at both budget workshops, and be heard when you say that you can’t afford everything on their wish lists.

Major cuts need to be made this year, because residents just can’t afford what they are asking to pay for. It is time for both the Municipal and School Departments to sharpen their pencils and tighten their belts like most people in town have to do.

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Jean Powers lives in Brunswick.