Eric Miller says Mansfield has some of the best roads in the state. But it wasn’t always like this.

“Our streets were in deplorable condition,” Miller said. “They were falling apart, most of the streets were in terrible shape, and we just needed to do something about it.”

Back in the 1980s, Miller — a lawyer — started a group called the Committee for Better Streets, dedicated to fixing the streets for everyone.

The idea, he says, was this: “How can you, as a modern-day citizen, do something that helps people and helps all people across income ranges?” Miller said. “You can take care of the infrastructure.”

The Committee for Better Streets proposed a small tax — a quarter of a percent on earned income — dedicated to repairing the city’s roads. However, convincing people to pay more taxe

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