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If you’ve been anywhere in Reading lately, you’ve probably heard people talking about the override. I hear it in the salon chair, at the coffee shop, in line at the post office. And honestly? I get the hesitation. Nobody likes a tax increase, and as a small business owner, I like it even less than most. But the more I’ve looked into it, the more I’ve come around. Skipping this override doesn’t save us money. It just makes the fix more expensive later. So I’m voting yes on November 3, and I hope you’ll consider doing the same.
Reading has a structural deficit, meaning the gap isn’t a one-year blip. It’s built into the budget, and it grows every year we ignore it. Without the override, we’re looking at dozens of layoffs across the town and schools, fewer police, fire, and public works positions, and library cuts deep enough to put its state certification at risk. Those aren’t extras. Those are the things that make people want to live here, and frankly, the things that bring customers through my door.
I’ve watched this town choose to invest in itself before, and we were better for it. Let’s do it again.
Vote yes on the override.
Joy Beaulieu
