I think virtually every town/city in this country relies too heavily on grants — it’s a huge problem that contributes to our fiscal woes at all levels of government.
But this is a system of our own creation that we have let fester and grow out of control. We have these unholy alliances that are in place across the country where we are forced to send our money to the next higher level of government. It is laundered and redistributed through some bureaucracy, and then we have to ask for some if it back — but only on their terms and with all the strings that are attached to it.
The real long-term fix is to break down the system of taxation and regulation that leads to these twisted and interwoven reliances and return the power and control to the towns and cities where it belongs.
We have plenty of money in our town to support our residents, schools, and to run our local operations. But we are so beholden to mandates and regulations that we have to comply with first before we do anything else that it leaves us short every year. And then we are forced to make choices no one want to, nor should have to, such as cutting services or raising taxes.
It is a vicious cycle that has to be broken, or we will never get out of it and eventually it will consume us.
Brian Gosper serves on the Killingly Town Council.