To Norton voters, congratulations on your efforts to defeat a temporary property tax override. It is well documented that the taxes collected would have been used to keep your buildings from literally falling to the ground.

As override opponents you have succeeded in avoiding an average tax bill increase of $296, over eight years. Eight years times 12 months per year yields a result of 96 months. If you divide $296 by 96 the answer isyou guessed it.a large coffee and doughnut at your favorite coffee shop. For those keeping score, it would be $3.08 per month! How many coffees do you buy? Could you have spared one per month for the safety and well- being of your children?

My wife is a fifth grade teacher at the Henri A. Yelle Elementary School (Yes, the one that is falling down) and has devoted over 11 years to supporting and instructing your children. Admittedly, she is an employee and gets paid to do her job. Nevertheless, what frustrates me the most, according to my detailed financial records, is that our family has supplemented your children's education in excess of $6,500 over the past 11 years. Her contributions average out to almost $50 per month! I am even more positive that most of Norton's devoted teachers have equaled, if not surpassed, this contribution mark over the years. In case you do not know, there are school districts throughout Massachusetts that incorporate additional monies for the purchase of classroom necessities. In the last 12 years, Norton has never done this and the teachers are the ones that have closed the gap. (I offer a heartfelt "thank you" to the Norton parent board for their yearly stipend.)

It is abundantly clear that Norton cannot afford to take care of its facilities and, unfortunately for property owners in Norton, the stage has been set for declining property values.

Suffice it to say, realtors and potential home purchasers will look elsewhere to buy their homes because of the situation. School systems with updated facilities, quality teachers, libraries, and resources sell homes. These are all part of "location, location, location" equation. Now that you have succeeded in making Norton less desirable for a variety of reasons, you will find declining real estate values, and even lower property tax collections in years to come. Ironically, you will still have to maintain the same buildings that you failed to support at the polls and in the end your decision will cost the town tens of thousands of dollars in additional debt service. Although you cannot take credit for the 6,000 voters who chose to stay away from the polls, it is an utter shame that a school system with over 3,000 children could not muster up more than 2,090 votes to pass the override. With that said, I commend you all on your victory. Imagine that with just over 20 percent (20.27 percent to be exact) of registered voters (2,157 divided by 10,642 total registered voters) you are able to control the outcome of property values for everyone in Norton.

As for my wife and I, you can certainly bet the $296 you saved Tuesday that we will continue to support the children regardless of your irrational, illogical and selfish decision. I guess if I followed your rules, I should take the $50 per month we supplement your children and pay down my mortgage early, saving two years in payments and over $15,000 of interest! I hope you are enjoying your coffee and doughnut while you read this!

WILLIAM T. CARLINE III lives in Attleboro.