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Dissolution or not, town, village can cooperate

Posted 9/27/11

To the Editor: North Country This Week did a fine job in its article on dissolution last week, which summarized well many of the findings presented in the dissolution study (“Dissolution Could Hurt …

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Dissolution or not, town, village can cooperate

Posted

To the Editor:

North Country This Week did a fine job in its article on dissolution last week, which summarized well many of the findings presented in the dissolution study (“Dissolution Could Hurt Big Employers,” Sept. 21-27).

The article also highlighted some of the complex issues that lie ahead if dissolution were to happen.

There are some thoughts I’d like to add to those presented.

The first is to encourage people to become more involved in local politics. At this level individual voices can be heard and do make a difference.

I am frustrated when I hear complaints about those serving on the boards, yet few come forward to seek office, or to speak of a concern at the board meetings.

After attending many meetings of both the town and village boards, I realize that these folks do the best they can and do step up when concerns are presented.

If dissolution were to be voted for by the village residents, the village folks are not left to the mercy of the town board, as is often portrayed.

If there is no village, the town board has the charge of continuing to represent us all, as they do now, but since there will be no layer of village government there will have to be a shift in the scope of this responsibility.

The former village residents will be at least half of their constituency.

The board will need to consider the needs of the more rural spaces, and those of the more densely populated spaces. We are all a part of Potsdam.

There will certainly be some needs of the former village the costs of which will stay with former village residents like the water and sewer maintenance (part of what is already paid for in the user fees), lighting, a trash collection contract.

These will not pass on to the Town outside Village.

The reason for the majority of the tax shift if dissolution were to happen is that of police services.

These services, as the article pointed out, are vital to the whole community. We need to have police protection.

If you visit the Village website you can see a newly added page that demonstrates what would happen to taxes if we were able to form a police district in the former village.

This is not a feasible option since it does not address the inequity of police protection being shouldered by taxes collected on a small percentage of the properties in the village.

The needs of the colleges and hospital and public school should be a matter for the whole community because the Town of Potsdam would be very different if any of these major employers and income generators were not here.

As for the appearance of the village, a vibrant village core with properties that are well maintained should matter to everyone, not just the colleges.

There will not be one code for all if dissolution happened. There can be code for the need of denser zones, different than the code needed for more rural areas.

How much code enforcement? How much police coverage? We will all be part of that dialogue in the event of dissolution.

I came forward to run for a seat on the Town Board.

Dissolution or not, I want to see Potsdam as a whole prosper.

I want to see more cooperation and joint vision when it comes to economic development; I would like to see more communication between the two boards that is positive and forward thinking rather than reactionary.

Dissolution or not, I want to stop thinking in a “we” versus “them” way, and tackle the problems ahead.

Rose Rivezzi

Potsdam Town Board candidate