So what is up with the secret public meetings? Tacking a note on a board in Town Hall is hardly public notice. It might be legal, but is it ethical? [First Selectman Joseph] Mazza seems intent on balancing the budget by developing the Route 1 corridor. At the last West End Development Meeting, the chairman said if Guilford builds it, they will come. There are 22 signs between Branford and I-95 advertising "For Sale" or "For Rent" already; we need to build more? Why? Where is this coming from? My guess is Town Hall looking for revenue.

Here is their problem: School expenditures are by far the largest expense in the budget. We all want the best for our children, and somehow the idea of throwing money at the schools gets them the best. Yet there is a much bigger problem we all face. We built a huge, new high school in spite of declining enrollment. Our kids move elsewhere once they graduate. Many newly hired town employees live in neighboring towns. We have an aging population, and some of those people are also leaving. Why? It's too expensive to live here. There are no starter homes, just McMansions complete with big mortgages and tax bills. Instead of trying to spread the tax burden over more residents, the town buys property to prevent residential development, adding to our taxes. The theory is that it would cost more for infrastructure.

We have the infrastructure. We should encourage building smaller homes so our kids can remain in town and our emergency personnel can afford to live here. We can fill the new high school with kids. And we can afford to retire here. We don't need the commercial development that no one wants to save Guilford; we need more residents to share the burden.

Edward DinseGuilford