To the Residents of Northwood,

Let me begin by saying that I am writing today as a resident, taxpayer, parent, and Selectman, not as a representative of the BOS or any other board or committee on which I serve. As one of your elected selectboard members, I want to take a moment to acknowledge and respect the choices made by the voters in this year’s town meeting. Our democratic process is the foundation of our community, and your voices have been heard. That said, I would be insincere if I did not express my deep disappointment in the results of the most recent vote and the difficult road that lies ahead.

Once again, our town has chosen to underfund the very operations that keep it running. Basic infrastructure needs—like road resurfacing—have been denied, leaving us to patch and stretch our existing resources beyond what is reasonable. A necessary vehicle for the building inspector has been rejected, forcing us to either pour thousands of dollars into a twenty-year-old truck or rent an alternative. Voters turned down funding for a town-wide revaluation—something required by state law. This means we will now likely need to go to court to seek permission to move forward anyway, but at an even greater cost, with possible legal fees added on top of the mandated expense.

Perhaps most critically, the proposed budget failed by a wide margin. We will be left to make some very hard decisions about what can be funded this year and what cannot. I won’t speculate as to the outcome, but these decisions have real consequences. They affect the conditions of our roads, the ability of town employees to do their jobs effectively, the quality of life in our little town, and the long-term financial health of our municipality. A budget shortfall does not make these needs disappear; they only make them harder and more expensive to address in the future.

Despite these challenges, I remain committed to serving this town to the best of my ability. I will honor the will of the voters while also working to ensure that we meet our legal obligations and continue to provide essential services with the resources we have. But I urge you all to consider the long-term impact of the choices we make each March. A town cannot run indefinitely on deferred maintenance, delayed investment, and short-term savings that lead to long-term costs.

I encourage open dialogue and invite all residents to engage more deeply in understanding the budget process and the realities of municipal management. We are all in this together, and our town’s future depends on informed, forward-thinking decisions.

Sincerely,

Matt Frye