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Libertarian undaunted after campaign to reduce town spending falls short

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Brian McQuade, center, in blue, looks on as Milton Police Chief William Krauss details cuts to town services if the 10 percent reduction to its operating budget was enacted at Town Meeting Feb. 10 at Nute. (Rochester Voice file photo)

Editor's note: Brian McQuade is an employee of the National Passport Center in Portsmouth. An earlier version stated an incorrect place of employment. The Rochester Voice apologizes for the error.

MILTON - After spending hours and hours in conversation with town residents in person and on social media, Brian McQuade thought his motion to cut Milton's operating budget by 10 percent had a slim chance, but a combination of what he called scare tactics from town officials and apathy or cold feet from professed backers derailed his effort pretty decisively.

"It was pretty disappointing," he said on Monday, "especially after all the time and effort I put in."

McQuade, a Libertarian for several years now, said he feels government spending across the board is simply outstripping most salaries, continuing to climb at a greater rate than both wages and inflation.

Brian McQuade (Courtesy photo)

"In the last 10 year Milton taxes have risen double the wage growth and triple the inflation growth," he said.

The Libertarian Party is a political party that is known for its promotion of civil liberties, non-interventionism, limitation of government and laissez-faire capitalism.

McQuade made his stand at Milton's Deliberative Session held earlier this month in the Nute Middle and High School cafeteria, where about 80 folks showed up, about double what's been seen in recent years.

McQuade, who works at the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, thinks the larger crowd not to mention a powerpoint presentation that pointed out significant cuts in police and fire protection were in direct response to his social media campaign to cut the budget by 10 percent, about $450,000 dollars.

Cuts detailed by town officials during their presentation included the loss of two police officers, losing town clerk hours, curtailing nighttime staffing at Milton Fire and Rescue, cutting the transfer station days in half, and possibly even closing the Milton Free Public Library in Milton Mills.

McQuade, who serves on the town's Zoning Board of Appeals and the Cemetery Committee, called it the "Washington Monument" complex.

Whenever their budget is threatened, they talk about curtailing or canceling the services that are most popular to townspeople, McQuade said.

After spending countless hours talking to Milton residents in person McQuade thought he had about 15 people who said they would back him, but in the end there were only four and the amendment was soundly defeated.

He's sure the large crowd at the Town Meeting and the powerpoint were both in response to his visible social media campaign.

"At least we had a conversation," said McQuade.

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