Lakeshore residents pay a lot in taxes, despite many only living part-time in community

Posted 23 April 2018 at 11:45 am

Editor:

A recent letter to the editor regarding the industrial wind factory project by Apex Clean Energy of Virginia states:

“Lastly, you have the 10% to 15% lake privileged, who always complain about unfair high taxes.”

As one of the “privileged” I would like to make it known that our family has never once complained about “unfair high taxes” nor have I heard any of my lake neighbors complain about “unfair” high taxes.

I am not sure what the 10-15% percent represents here … 10-15% of the citizens, of the taxpayers? Of the tax revenue? Of the voters? What does this have to do with the Right to Farm? I can tell you what lake dwellers who are part time residents don’t get: tax reduction of any sort regardless of age or economic status. We don’t complain about that either.

Most of us are subsidized only by our own hard work. We do not need to be denigrated for that.

The combining of legal forces by Somerset and Yates is intended to reduce the legal costs to both towns imposed on us by Apex Clean Energy’s industrial wind project called Lighthouse Wind, a project that has been rejected by a majority of the citizens in both towns. I applaud the Yates Town Board members who are looking out for that majority. I believe that is the way the founding fathers intended this country to operate.

Unfortunately, Article 10 has taken away Home Rule and this tenet of democracy in NY state.

Sincerely,

Susan Dudley

Lyndonville