To the Editor:

“What we need and what we want!” Selectman Steve Gonsalves commenting on the need for further study of Town House options at the board’s Jan. 3 meeting. This is the first rational statement regarding the options for the strategic direction for the Town House by a Selectman since work on the Town House issue began.

In your mailbox, there is a Town House survey with a predetermined outcome for what the Town House Committee “wants” and not what the town “needs.” The town needs efficient and affordable office space for about 20 administrative employees. The Town House Committee is advocating a major historical building restoration, which members and a few preservationists would like all taxpayers to pay for.

Contained in the Town House options is a proposed 1,228 square feet executive suite for the town administrator accessed by an elevator and a meeting room to accommodate 70 occupants. The White House Oval Office is only 816 square feet. Town facilities are awash with significant excess capacity usable for public, board and committee meetings without adding additional capacity.

Steve Gonsalves comment is on point. What must be looked at is what the town needs and not what a special interest group, including Paul Dawson the town administrator, wants.

The Town House committee has done no work on analyzing what the town needs in the way of efficient and affordable administrative office space. This due diligence work must be done and included in the options for voters to consider. At this point taxpayers are looking at a stacked deck with the options offered by the Town House survey.

It’s time for a new paradigm for the town house.

Other large competing capital project for taxpayer dollars included the very large wastewater treatment plant permit compliance spending that will occur over the next five years. The Council on Aging, no doubt, will push forward plans for the VFW building. The Music Hall Committee will have a continuing improvements shopping list. The Village sewer, paving and drainage project along with other water projects will need to be paid for, too.

The town’s unfunded retirement benefits and a fire truck and ambulance or two can be added to the list with a new DPW garage and, ultimately, a fire station. This is the overview of the major assault on the municipal treasury of wants but not necessary needs. This, of course, comes along with funding the annual Town operating budget for day-to-day living expenses.

Ted North
Marion