HAYDEN: Price of peace of mind

In his Oct. 23 letter, Mr. Kerwin mentioned several taxing agencies. I’ll address his comments on the Hayden Law Enforcement Base Budget Increase.

I served on the Hayden Task Force. We were guided by the city’s Vision Statement, particularly this passage about public services: “We need to continue to support, preserve, and enhance these services as may be necessary to keep pace with the needs of our growing population.”

Task Force members studied data about various crime rates over the past 11 years, response times, and spoke with deputies about their experiences. We discussed concerns about increasing taxes.

We agreed that we live in a lovely “small town” and want to keep it a safe place. As tempting as it is to imagine turning back the clock on recent growth, this clock moves in one direction — forward.

We unanimously agreed that the only way to keep Hayden a safe and welcoming place is to judiciously increase the current number of deputies dedicated to Hayden from 3½ to 7½.

I understand that $4.23/month can affect people on a fixed income. I am one of them. I do know, however, that no amount of money can purchase one’s sense of safety if it has been destroyed. Have you ever had a home invasion, a car crash, a domestic crisis or were simply afraid? In those moments of fear, $4.23 a month would seem a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Please vote YES on Nov. 5.

VICTORIA C. BRUNO

Hayden