Open Letter to Our Community

March 15, 2024

Sherry & Ralph Jones

Dear neighbor,

As a long-time resident of Belmont, I am reaching out because I care about the people of this community. Belmont is where my wife and I raised our kids. Since 1971, we have lived in four different neighborhoods. More than any single neighborhood, it is the town that is our home.

I have devoted much of my adult life to serving Belmont, first as a member of the Warrant Committee, then the School Committee, and finally the Select Board. Over those decades, my goal was always to make life better for the people of our town.

Now, as I enter my 80th year, I am worried. I still follow Belmont’s budget, and the potential cuts you are hearing about are not idle threats. They are real. Without an override, the community we have built together will change, and we may lose much of what we value.

When I joined the Warrant Committee in 1989, we were coping with Proposition 2 ½ which passed in 1980. The problem then, as now, is that the costs of our services typically increase by more than 2.5%. For 40 years, we have been trimming budgets. The federal COVID funds temporarily postponed the inevitable, but they are gone.

Despite the challenges, there are reasons for hope. Belmont’s current leaders are capable and energetic, and they are pursuing key reforms needed to move Belmont towards a fiscally sustainable future. The finance team they have put in place at town hall is top-notch. Belmont’s AAA bond status is intact, which is a testament to the town’s solid financial management.

The undeniable fact is that the town needs an operating override. Belmont has passed only one operating override in the past 22 years, and it is critical that we let the town catch up with inflation, so that it can continue providing the services residents need and expect.

This is about you, about me, and about the kind of community we want to build. The future of Belmont depends on the decision we make together.

Please join me in voting Yes on Question 1 in the upcoming election on April 2.

Sincerely,
Ralph Jones