Deb Cloutier: Thanking the mayor and council for their work

To the editor:

I would like to address state cost-downshifting. Mayor Cone and members of the city council, I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your continued hard work, dedication, and leadership in guiding our community. Balancing a municipal budget in an era of rising costs is a difficult task, and I deeply appreciate the time and effort you commit to ensuring Berlin remains a vibrant place to live. I am particularly concerned about the ongoing issue of “downshifting” — where the state legislature shifts financial obligations, such as retirement contributions, education, and revenue sharing, onto local property taxpayers. These policies ultimately force our city to choose between raising property taxes or cutting vital services, neither of which are acceptable outcomes.