Members of Oak Ridge City Council:

Thank you.  I know that none of you ran on a platform of increasing taxes, but I’m glad that you recognize the harm that is being done by underfunding both city services and our schools.  Every year that some repairs or investments are delayed, the greater the cost.  In the case of our students, when educational services are delayed, the impact may be permanent.

While our request was not granted in full, I do appreciate the good-faith effort to fund our priorities.

I hope that you will not lose the desire to do so two weeks from today.  We must move forward, and it will take a team effort.

— Netmom