We have faced some difficult decisions of the Rutland town board since the first of the year, in particular with regard to Highway Department spending. I cannot imagine what the last seven months would have been without Colleen Woolley on the board. She is, in my opinion, the best qualified person on the town board in matters related to town finance and budget, having served in the past as both town bookkeeper and town councilperson.

Rutland is not unique. Other municipalities have been experiencing similar financial constraints owing to the price of fuel and materials. Yet, little do you ever hear of actual spending cuts or conservation measures. Given our country's current economic circumstances, the days of government extravagance have got to cease. In Rutland, Doug Main, Colleen and I have certainly done our part. We've made the difficult decisions, sometimes fighting an uphill battle, to bring the town's 2008 fiscal year within budget.

We face an even more difficult 2009, as costs for fuel and materials continue to rise. It is my strong and most sincere desire to continue along this same conservative course, by which we may maintain a healthy fund balance for the town of Rutland and keep any increase in the tax rate to an absolute minimum, if at all. I need someone with me on the town board with a like mind, and someone with the financial acumen and strength of conviction to make that happen.

Colleen Woolley is that person. And, as much as I respect her opponent, Kenneth Gleason, he is not.

Ken has been a Rutland fire commissioner. With the fire district tax rate in the town of Rutland almost as high as the town tax rate, in all due respect to Mr. Gleason, a fire commissioner is the last person we need on the Rutland town board. I fear Ken will bring this tax-and-spend mentality to the town board, the very same tax-and-spend mentality that put an extravagant, state-of-the-art fire station before the voters last summer. I only hope Sept. 9's primary stirs the same passions as that vote did last June.

Clearly, a vote for Mr. Gleason is a vote for unrestrained spending and, consequently, higher taxes. A vote for Colleen Woolley is a vote for prudent and responsible fiscal policy. I urge town of Rutland voters to vote for Colleen Woolley on Sept. 9.

Michael Gillette

Black River

The writer is a town of Rutland councilman.