My name is Amanda Tsapatsaris, co-chair of Save Our Stoneham, but more importantly, I'm a mom, a neighbor, and someone who loves this town. Our town is at a crossroads. The numbers are clear: Stoneham cannot sustain itself without an override.

We've already cut to the bone, we've consolidated, we've delayed maintenance, we've frozen positions, and we've stretched every single department past its limit. And now we're at the point where cuts are really hurting. It's affecting our kids, our seniors, and our safety. You can see it everywhere: Our schools started the year with 28 teaching positions unfilled, leaving students in overcrowded classrooms and high schoolers unable to get the credits they need to graduate on time, we have fewer patrols on our streets, reduced hours at the Senior Center and library, and a Fire Department operating just at the minimum safety standards, one unexpected call away from being overwhelmed. Staff across every department are being asked to do more with less, and it simply isn't sustainable.

Save Our Stoneham was formed because residents saw the financial crisis that was coming and wanted to do something about it.

We're not political, we're just neighbors. Parents, seniors, business owners, teachers, and volunteers. We believe the community deserves honest information about what is actually at stake. I want to thank the Override Study Committee for the months of transparent, data-driven work. They laid out these facts clearly, and now it's on every single one of us to make sure those facts reach every single household.

Stoneham has always been a community that steps up when it matters most. This moment is no different, it's about protecting what makes our town strong. I am asking every single resident of Stoneham: you've seen the numbers, you all know the truth, to please join us in the community. Come knock on doors with us, talk to the residents, help us get this information out. Your voices matter. Learn more, talk to your neighbors, because what happens next is going to define Stoneham's future for decades.

We all have a choice. We can let things continue to erode, or we can come together as a community to protect Stoneham. Let's make sure every resident understands what's at stake before it's too late. Thank you.

-- Amanda