Editorials published by the Goffstown Residents
Association are written by various members and
contributing non-members of the GRA.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room - this is the Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) increases proposed in the town and school budgets.

Yes, the bargaining units and town/school boards agreed upon COLA increase schedules, the voters said "yes" and we are obligated to honor those agreements. Those actions were done in better economic times and few people expected a recession the likes of which we are experiencing (I will argue we are and will be in a depressed economy for a long time until the employment outlook improves a whole lot.)

Those agreed upon COLA increases are the largest single line on the budget to could be reduced without cutting into services or shifting costs to the users. Some progress made toward that result. Leading the charge is the Parks & Recreation Director putting in for no COLA increase for himself and the Library and its board of directors reducing their staff COLAs. The Selectmen are handing the town workers who are not covered by a bargaining unit only half the originally proposed 4% COLA. 

I ask the various bargaining units to do the right thing. The right thing is to pitch in with a significant reduction in their respective COLAs.

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