Two years ago, our council passed (and voters then approved) a citywide referendum that raised taxes in order to create a municipal open space trust fund. This tax, needless to say, was approved in a very different political and economic climate than we face today.

Voters should now have a chance to reconsider this decision. In retrospect, the open space tax was marketed to voters in a rather deceptive manner. Slick TV ads promised all kinds of new parks and recreation space. The parks, of course, never materialized. Residents who expressed concern over the burden of higher taxes were reassured that offsetting cuts were on the way. Those promised cuts never materialized, either. Instead, we’ve had to endure massive tax hikes.

If our new mayor and council want to demonstrate their commitment to putting taxpayers first, moving to repeal the open space tax is a fine place to start.