Town spending

To the editor:
    Houlton is a beautiful town and is home to some of the most beautiful houses in the County. It’s tax rates are unacceptably high, however. Part of what generates such high rates is the town building and/or acquiring more buildings than it needs and can afford.
    I suspect that the $100,000-plus spent annually to maintain the Millar Arena services a more select group of individuals than its equivalent spent on any other interest group.
    That the town assumed the management costs of the “million dollar reststop” at the Houlton exit continues to baffle me. It’s a nice place to walk for sure. But Houlton already has a multitude of recreational areas for a town of its size. Restroom facilities needed? There are plenty in that area. Gas stations, department stores, grocery stores, etc. Just not a justifiable expense in my view.
    I remember well my shock at the town purchasing the land adjacent to the old JC Penney building and citing how critical this parcel is, given that it’s the first impression given of the town for folks entering Market Square. I don’t know who now owns that land, but I do not view the ATM placed there to be an especially bold statement about the beauty of historic Houlton.
    What Houlton needs is more jobs and additional businesses that generate tax revenues. It’s time for the town to stop acquiring and developing land that simply leads to increased tax burdens on the citizens.
    Let’s face it, in many instances what we pay to build or install is later blocked off, torn down, or removed when people actually use it! I cite as examples the buildings that once existed at the site of the bloodless war on Drake’s Hill, benches where people could sit and enjoy Market Square and the like.
    I love Houlton, as do many other people. I hope that the Town Council will see fit to reduce spending and give careful consideration to every potential purchase before them. Do we really need it? Can we really afford it? The same types of questions that each taxpayer must ask him or herself before making purchases.
Bernard J. Broder, III
Gorham