To the editor:
They say in Washington, if you want a friend, get a dog. In the shark-infested waters of Saugus politics, I’m not sure even a dog would last; as Mark Twain once noted, “If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.” In Saugus, I suspect the dog would not only bite the hand that fed it but would likely manage to get itself elected to the Board of Selectmen before the week was out.
Political friendships are fickle, but fiscal facts are permanent. While many today are focused on the current budget debate, those of us who have been around since the 1980s remember the truly “dark days” of the early 2000s. In 2006, we were looking at a $6.1 million override just for operations and a $1 million trash fee just to keep the lights on. Our library was decertified, and the Essex Street fire station was in constant flux. At that time, Saugus wasn’t living year by year; we were living crisis by crisis, just waiting for the next one to fall. About 15 years ago, under the previous administration, the town was in such a precarious state that we even needed a one-time debt exclusion just for snow and ice.
In 2012, there was finally hope with the new administration. I know this well because I attended every single Finance Committee meeting and watched methodically as then-Selectman Mike Serino, Scott Crabtree, and others went through the budget line-by-line to satisfy the mandates of Mr. Perry from the Department of Revenue (DOR). At that time, Saugus was essentially at junk bond status, forced to use the Commonwealth’s bond rating just to borrow money. It took five years on a DOR watch list and disciplined, painful stabilization to get the state off our backs.
Look at where Saugus stands today. Since this administration took office, you haven’t seen a single override for operations. Those stabilization funds that were once empty now hold millions. We finally have the “rainy day” protection we never had before.
Sitting in Plymouth now, I see a scary parallel to our old days. Neighbors like Marblehead, Malden, and Melrose are facing major overrides just for operations. Every community in the Commonwealth is facing a financial storm, especially with rising healthcare costs. Saugus has a strong footing heading into that storm; we will fare better than most because of the groundwork laid over the last decade.
I’m not privy to the day-to-day debates for the upcoming Town Meeting, but in this age of slick Facebook posts, TikTok ads, and glossy videos, we must look to the quiet, steady, old-school way of doing things. A solid foundation may not be glamorous, but it is proven, and it works. I don’t say this to be a “cheerleader” for any one administration; I am a cheerleader for the strong finances that have been the hallmark of Saugus since 2012. I wish the town well, and I hope the budget deliberations consider the totality of this success.
Respectfully,
Al DiNardo
Plymouth