“There is nothing new under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 1:8 (ESV)
Over the past six years we have faced great challenges and made big decisions together. We survived COVID and historic, damaging storms. We rewrote the comprehensive plan to preserve our wetlands. We involved and engaged the public through expanded communications, workshops, public comment and committee work.
Our fundamental weakness is appropriating funds without full public deliberation. We make decisions without quantifying cost and value. We must reduce taxes and spending through more careful, fact-based analysis. This will require a fundamental shift in our thinking as well as leadership changes.
Thank you for the privilege of serving. It has been a joy to meet new neighbors and to get to know old friends better.
Our future depends on choosing optimism over cynicism to rebuild trust in our government.
God bless Scarborough and God bless the great state of Maine.
Don Hamill is a member of the Scarborough Town Council.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Scarborough Town Council.
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