To the Editor:

I would like to commend the current mayor and board on their desire to cut excess spending and save the Village of Potsdam some much needed money wherever they can.

However, I don’t think the police department and the fire department are the places to look.

When you consider that on weekends many times the local police are called to downtown establishments to deal with disorderly conduct, who is supposed to respond to other emergencies in the village?

I for one would like to know that if someone were breaking into my home and I called the police that they would be there in minutes to respond, not a half hour later when they are done wrangling drunks on Market Street. The fire and police departments are a necessary part of this village because they keep us, the taxpayers, safe.

Although agreeably in today’s economy we must tighten our belts and do what we can to conserve money and regulate spending, it should not be at the cost of personal safety.

Give the police the staffing they need to continue to serve and protect us in the exceptional manner they do and leave the fire department alone, we need everyone one of them and every piece of equipment they operate.

Perhaps if the village government put aside the hostility they have toward the town government and worked together, money could be saved by sharing responsibilities and upkeep.

Working with the local universities is another way to bring in revenue. Use the university contacts to attract businesses and create a working relationship with the colleges.

Other villages have managed to improve economic growth and development through the peaceful coexistence of the villages and the universities. Why shouldn’t we? Save us money but keep us safe- -- it’s a tough order to fill but that’s why you were elected.

James Hubbard