Editor, Gazette-Journal:

As a lifelong Republican, I find myself unable to support the Republican candidate at-large supervisor in Gloucester. I cannot support the “Peninsula Patriots’” choice as candidate.

I have issues with anyone who says they are going to freeze budget spending, and possibly cut another 1 to 3 percent from the budget; yet when asked, cannot say where these cuts would come from. I cannot fathom how you can state you will make cuts without understanding where the impact will fall on the community. Mr. Meyer states there is “waste” in government, yet cannot tell you where it is. The budget for the county can be found and downloaded from the county website. Based on just his statements, next year’s budget will have to be cut about $1.2 to $1.5 million. The three largest components of the budget are schools, the sheriff’s department and debt. That comprises about 72 percent of the county’s budget. All other functions come out of the remaining 28 percent.

A possible impact of that cut could be about 20 fewer deputies, or doing away with all of parks and recreation, community education and the libraries, which would shut down all these programs, all public use of our parks and community use of our school buildings by organizations, in addition to the loss of all of those programs. I also take issue with giving a three-year tax break to new businesses. Sounds great at first, but it costs money, so more cuts in programs are required to do this, and second, what are you saying to all the businesses that have been in this community during these rough years trying to make it and contributing to the county’s tax base? I know what it would say to me … we don’t value you.

Grant Keller takes a more balanced approach to county business. He believes we need someone on the board who is prepared to think outside the box, has a technical background, and will do what is right for all of the citizens, not just one party or the other. Therefore, I am asking all my Republican and Democrat friends to vote for the independent—vote Grant Keller on Nov. 5.

Steve Head

Gloucester, Va.