May 13, 2008
Mr. Wetherbee & Board:
With increase taxes at every level including school taxes and hurting those the most on a fixed income is the reason I am here tonight.
On January 30, 2008 I sent a letter in the form of an e-mail to each of you expressing my displeasure with the SCIDA proposal for Wayland/Cohocton Schools and wanting to know your views on this important matter. If you have done so, I am certainly unaware of it, an therefore am led to believe you accept the SCIDA proposal as it stands. Unfortunately for taxpayers, SCIDA approved the pilot program for T/Cohocton giving the school only a pittance amount of $37,500 a year for at least the next 20 yrs as its fair share of a massive -multi-million dollar private wind energy enterprise, which if taxed industrial would generate considerable tax revenue in line with its assessed valuation.
Under these circumstances I cannot see why in good conscience you as board members wouldn't address this injustice in the courts as the Naples and Prattsburgh school systems are currently and aggressively doing, recognizing the significant monies potentially lost and thus the unfair and adverse impact on taxpayers by SCIDA, by its intentionally and knowingly depriving the school systems of a significant and more importantly, rightly deserved tax dollars. Yet the board attempts to justify the approval of $27.69 million dollar school budget, an increase of nearly 1.5 million dollars and a significant tax increase for us all!
Perhaps many of you are aware that in his first major policy speech in April after becoming governor, Governor Patterson intends and will make major changes in the star program to save money. What money every one saved last year because of the star program will soon be a thing of the past it seems. This picture as a whole is not an acceptable reality to me.
Therefore with political and financial conditions now existing and proposed, I think it is necessary that you proceed with court litigation against SCIDA, thereby leading in a responsible manner with our financial interest firmly in mind and aggressively challenging their unfair, dictating pilot agenda in court. In doing so, you will have rightfully gained the support and respect of the student and tax payer alike. Doing anything less leads me to have no confidence of this board to rightly address my concerns and will vote NO accordingly on this budget.
Respectively submitted,
Don E. Sandford
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