I would like to add my voice to those who are dismayed at the cancellation of the “circuit breaker” property tax refund.

As a retired teacher, living on a fixed income, keeping up with the property tax on my Auburn home is an ongoing challenge. My home has been in our family since the early 1930s and I truly hope to be able to continue to live here for as long as possible.

The $4,000-plus that I need to come up with for property tax each year is a daunting amount and sure to rise as time goes on. The circuit breaker refund that usually arrived in August, shortly after the September tax bill was paid, was a big help as “seed money” to begin saving for the March payment.

Yes, I do read the paper daily and was aware that cancelling the rebate program was a possibility. And no, I did not contact my representative or the governor or anyone else. I naively believed that wiser heads would prevail and this assistance, that so many people depend on, would survive the cuts.

Will I manage to keep up with the taxes without that help? Yes, somehow I will, but I still feel that it was very wrong to eliminate that program.

June P. Spear, Auburn

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