>>Valley Patriot>> |
Currently, I manage my family’s small business on Salem Street. This summer, I am getting married to my fiancé, Michelle Muise, a lifelong resident of North Andover. For the past six years I have served the Town as a Selectman and I am proud of the results. In recent years we have seen the Town face many challenges. The most significant of these challenges is the Town’s annual budget. Despite declining revenue North Andover receives from the state, we have still managed to provide an excellent level of service to all residents. Since 2002, we have also been able to avoid talk of an override which was previously an annual debate. One problem I still feel we have in our Town is the social engineering that our government creates. For example, not everyone pays the same rate on their water bills and their property tax bills. Because the Town uses a tiered rate structure, you could actually be paying more per unit for water than your neighbor. It doesn’t cost the Town any more to provide the service, but essentially one user is paying more so another can pay less. I believe that this practice unfairly burdens people with large families as well as businesses that rely on water use. Similarly, the Town taxes some property owners differently. Because of an obscure law passed by the Legislature several decades ago, the Town can set different rates for different property owners. The law was created specifically for the City of Boston and was never intended for Towns like North Andover. For many years, some taxpayers were paying as much as 20% more on their bills in order to subsidize others who were paying far less than their fair share. Last year, the Selectmen voted to decrease that subsidy to make the tax structure a bit more fair. Advocates of higher taxes will call this a tax increase on the taxpayers who had been paying less, but I believe decreasing the subsidy serves the Town’s best interest. Simply stated, each water user and taxpayer should be paying no more and no less than their fair share of the burden. I am running for re-election because I care deeply about the Town and the problems that we face. The Town will continue to face challenges over the next several years and with experience on the Board of Selectmen, we will meet those challenges. I ask for your vote on March 29th so that I may continue a record of fiscal responsibility, proactive leadership and responsive government.
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My name is
Jim Xenakis and I am running for re-election as a
Selectman. I have lived in North Andover most of my life
and my family has owned and operated a business in Town
for the last 25 years.