Brad Cote

Taxes / Budget We need to be realistic that in today's fiscal environment, prices are going to increase due to inflation. Costs are going up everywhere, so it is crucial to create an updated plan to determine what expenses are on the horizon and how we can best prepare for them. Taxes / Budget Nobody likes tax increases, but at the same time, it is not feasible to freeze taxes either. All this does is "kick the can down the road" and delay necessary expenses until things are falling apart and cost a lot more to repair/replace. Taxes / Budget To help reduce the tax burden, we need to determine if there are any additional ways that we can increase revenue without it falling on taxpayers (such as slight bumps in fees, reevaluating our financial relationship with UNE, continue the city's work with grant writing, etc.). Infrastructure / Transportation We still have developers coming to Biddeford looking for agreements from the city that will weaken the city for years to come. Occasionally, there are instances where perks make sense if data and other information prove it is ultimately a wise investment for the city. In most instances, it is not fair that encouraging new development results in the regular taxpayer shouldering that additional tax burden.