To the Editor:

Open letter to State Senators Ms. Pattie Richie and Mr. Joseph Griffo:

I am a resident and former employee of St. Lawrence County. I am requesting that you reconsider your position and support legislation, which would enable our county to increase the sales tax.

The alternatives to an increase in sales tax, cutting valuable county services or significantly increasing property taxes, seem drastic.

Our county legislature recently stated they plan to cut non-mandated county services to balance the budget; which includes services for the aging, people with mental health issues and people with chemical dependency problems.

With our large geographical area, lack of private services and no metropolitan center, providing services to those in need is already difficult.

Cutting these services completely would leave many people desperate, with little or no alternatives for help. Many elderly people in our county are already living below the poverty line.

Outpatient mental health services and chemical dependency services keep many people functioning and prevent incarceration.

I know these are hard economic times, however, it grieves me when budgets are balanced on the ‘backs’ of the poor and members of our community who are in greatest need.

And although cutting services now may help to balance our budget for the short run, we will most certainly see a backlash in the years to come.

Lisa Thomas, Hermon