“City voters should ask tough override questions,” the Gazette announced in an editorial Dec. 7 concerning Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz’s proposal for another $2.5 million override to replenish a city stabilization fund.
That headline proves to be not a little disingenuous given that nowhere in the editorial did the Gazette editors themselves raise “tough questions,” but rather reiterated the mayor’s talking points and warnings in endorsing his proposal.
What requires some tough questions is why overrides, which were originally designed to provide municipalities funding for extraordinary expenses, are now to be assumed and baked in for ordinary budgeting purposes.
This is a fiscal policy that will be embraced by Northampton’s growing affluent class, but is hard to swallow for working folks and retirees on limited incomes.
Meanwhile, how well has the city administration done in attracting new businesses which could contribute significantly to the city government’s bottom line? Is promoting retail marijuana establishments the sum of our business development policy?
Judson Brown
Northampton