Kevin Seery used inflation to justify his original 8.8% budget increase for East Lyme yet said that he was not comfortable with it. Imagine my surprise to learn that there is $275,000 in the final budget for pickleball courts. Funding for pickleball courts at this time is probably the most unnecessary, frivolous and irresponsible decision that the East Lyme Board of Selectman and Board of Finance could make. It is an insult to every taxpayer in East Lyme. Whoever put and kept it in the budget showed poor judgment.

Given that many cannot absorb additional expenses, it begs the question of what else in this budget is unnecessary for effective town operations and can come out. It is also a warning to us that our Boards can’t be trusted and that we need to scrutinize everything that they do. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and they proved me wrong.

Since our Boards did not hold themselves accountable for fiscal responsibility that serves all of us, we need to vote NO on the May 18 Budget Referendum. Let them go back and take out the pickleball courts and every other frivolous expense.

Lucira Jane Nebelung

Niantic