Editor, Gazette-Journal: On November 3, Mathews voters will decide how our school buildings get paid for. Not whether. How. These projects get paid for either way. The boilers, chillers, roofs and wiring in our schools do not stop wearing out because a referendum fails. The only choice on the ballot is who is going to pay for it. Right now, the answer is property owners. Our real estate rate has already gone up six cents in two years, from 56 cents to 62 cents per $100. If this referendum fails, the next boiler or chiller comes out of that same rate. A property tax increase is paid entirely by the people who own something here. The one percent sales tax is not. It is paid by everyone who shops in Mathews, including the visitors, weekenders, boaters and out-of-county contractors who use our roads and enjoy our waterfront but never see a Mathews real estate bill. Groceries and essential hygiene products are exempt. By law, the money can only go to school construction and renovation, not ...