GilfordGrok

The voters of Gilford will be headed to the polls next week to vote for three Budget Committee candidates. Contrary to popular believe, the Committee did very little cutting from the budget this year. I believe the existence of a conservative Budget Committee contributed to the lean budgets that have been presented in the past few years. When it comes to government spending it’s a difficult process to simply “level” fund operating budgets and confront the prevailing believe that everyone gets a raise along with premium benefits. Anyone that disagrees with this process is met with strong opposition that can be especially difficult for Committee members with close ties to the community such as children in school or a business in town. Fortunately, we can thank our lucky stars that we are a SB2 community. This year’s Committee was comprised of a good mix of individuals that did a decent job of meeting the needs without too many confrontations. They found errors and more importantly applied pressure to assure that all spending is accountable and reasonable. I believe that it’s a healthy process to have that additional layer of protection for the tax payer. Some of the members consistently advocate for their own special interest groups. Fortunately, this is tempered with a majority of conservative voices that advocate for the entire town and its necessary spending requirements. It only makes sense that if a majority of liberal spending candidates dominate the committee, we will see much higher budgets in the future.

 Elections have consequences and this one will be very important in maintaining the conservative voices that advocate for Gilford’s budget process as a whole. There are seven candidates running for three seats. The winners will have a definite influence on the budget. This is my analysis of all the candidates and how I feel they will affect Gilford’s budget  

Joe Hoffman: His agenda will distract from the budget process. I feel he needs to pursue his agenda outside of the political process.

Mark Corey: He openly admits that he’s bias because he has a son that plays sports in the Gilford School system.  A Budget Committee member should consider the needs of ALL the residents without bias. I am not recommending this candidate.

Phyllis Corrigan: She is one of the sweetest ladies I know which is why she should step aside and let others fight these battles. Every dollar in the budget comes with a special interest group that lobbies for their money. Even though we are in troubled economical times, the spending of government wants to go on unaffected. I have learned that none of these special interest groups take no for an answer without a brutal fight. Sorry Phyllis but I cannot recommend you in these difficult times.

Richard Young: Rich served on the Committee this past year and voted “yes” for every spending proposal. He admits that he is bias toward the library above all else. He was one of only two that voted for the outside agencies that the voters overwhelmingly rejected last year at the polls. Should he prevail, your taxes will rise even higher and faster. This candidate must be defeated!   

Dick Hickok: Dick absolutely needs your vote to continue the excellent work he does for all Gilford residents and the Committee as chairman. I strongly recommend this candidate.

Skip Murphy: Skip is a strong conservative voice. Whether or not you like Skip’s style, there’s no denying that he studies every dime in the budget. Skip pushes very hard to assure that all spending is accountable and reasonable. His continued questioning on budget items has served the community and the committee in immeasurable ways. I strongly recommend this candidate.

Jean Lavin: A new conservative voice for Gilford. She has been active on the state and federal level and wishes to bring that experience to the town. She will bring a new perspective to the committee that is always welcome. I strongly recommend this candidate.

Hickok, Murphy and Lavin for Budget Committee are Gilford’s best shot at maintaining the necessary services that Gilford residents need under a reasonable budget. Please join me in voting for these three candidates for Gilford Budget Committee next Tuesday, March 10^th.