My ballot has just arrived and after reviewing the proposal and fact materials I must say, I like what I see and I’m voting yes.

It’s about time that someone has come up with an affordable plan to solve Auburn’s crumbling street problem. I like the fact that this plan gets Auburn past the short term “patch the roof” approach of road repair. I know that’s all Auburn can currently afford with the limited local tax dollars available. However, the patching approach just isn’t sustainable, and we need a long term solution.

To be honest, I was positively stunned at how affordable this measure is over the 20-25 year payoff. I like the stair-step approach for taking out the bonds and think it’s a very responsible approach in these tougher times.

I read the letters to the editor against this measure, and I don’t understand the “rich expecting the poor to pay for more taxes” thinking. I really don’t think $2-$3 a month at the beginning, going up to $8-$9 per month at the peak, is going to break the bank, whether you’re “poor” or “rich.”

To give you some comparative perspective, this initial cost over a year is equal to that of a tank of gas at current prices (cheaper if gas continues to rise). At the peak cost of the proposal, when you break it down to $8 or $9/month, that is still cheaper than the cost of one adult ticket at the movie theater. Very affordable in my opinion. Having better streets will entice more companies to move to our city, too; truly enabling Auburn to become “more than you imagine” it could be.

I encourage you to join me in voting yes to fix Auburn’s Roads now, so our city can move forward in staying relevant and having safe streets for all.

– Kathleen M. Davis