Hamilton School District is going all out to convince taxpayers of the necessity to approve an additional $33 million in two separate referendums. This is on top of the $56 million bond issue requested and approved in 2019. Currently, many in the district are feeling the effects of significant increases in utilities, mortgages, groceries, gas and everything in between. Nearly all households have made adjustments in spending decisions to compensate for the increases.

In contrast, the Hamilton School Board, specifically incumbent candidates Schaffner and Van Aaken, apparently believes additional spending in a high-interest environment is the way to go as long as someone else is paying the bill. It is estimated approval of both referendums will add an estimated $147 to the property tax assessment bill for a household with a home value of $300,000.

There is a clear choice offered to Schaffner and Van Aaken: Candidates Stacy Riedel (Sussex) and Andrew Rupert (Lisbon). Both of these candidates have the project management and financial backgrounds essential to the prudent fiscal management of the Hamilton School District.

Riedel and Rupert will not simply accept at face value the recommendations of an entity comfortable with spending other people’s money. Candidates Riedel (Sussex) and Rupert (Lisbon) will utilize the skills honed in managing private business to assess what Hamilton School District needs, what can be deferred, and what can be improved upon using the resources at hand. This is a sharp, bright contrast to the discredited method of throwing other people’s money at perceived emergency issues and hoping the internal experts have a credible solution.

This week during early voting or in person on April 2, I respectfully urge fellow Hamilton School District homeowners to support the responsible fiscal stewards Stacy Riedel (Sussex) and Andrew Rupert (Lisbon).

In closing, I (and I am certain many of the readers of this letter) can find much better use for the estimated $147 the other candidates plan to forcibly confiscate from my household.

Sean M. McCormack
Lisbon