To the editor:
With an especially large turnout of 402 voters Oct. 25, Shutesbury approved spending for the new library project by the required 2-to-1 margin. If this were a presidential election, it would be called a landslide. The large turnout highlighted that the town's population has grown, 668 percent since 1960 when the entire population was only 265. Many, many of the people who have moved to town over the last 50 years have the reasonable expectation that the community library be accessible.
The beautiful tiny library building that has served four generations of citizens is truly too small to be a lively community hub. The current library is too small for people to sit, hold a book group, meet and chat, access the town's limited wi-fi service, or bring their children to story hour.
With a state grant of $ 2.1 million, the town voted to encumber the balance of $1.4 million, pending passage of a debt-exclusion override today.
No doubt any increase in property taxes falls harder on some citizens. Concern for the taxpayers has always been part of the discussion. An ambitious fundraising effort with a goal of $400,000, of which $120,000 has been raised, will lessen the tax impact.
When the fundraising goal is achieved, Shutesbury's taxpayers will wrestle down a loan of $1,000,000 over 20 years. Spread out over all the 875 households, this is a project whose time has come.
Sometimes taxes pay for the greater good of the community and contribute to a responsible investment for generations to come. This kind of civic endeavor is part of what makes a town a real town.
Vote yes today to make a difference in the future history of Shutesbury. In 50 years, at the tri-centennial, the "new" library will be celebrated as a legacy of community pride.
Dave and Susie Mosher
Shutesbury
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