Murray taxpayers pay a higher tax rate than most others in county

Editor:

It would be unfair to Murray residents if I didn’t refute a few of the points made by Mr. Wood. He is correct in that there are 10 towns in Orleans County, and Murray does have a $4.83 tax rate for town taxes (for outside-village residents. It’s $3.06 for village property owners.).

The range of taxes is actually $2.76 to $9.18. (Click here to see the town tax rates in Orleans County.) Albion has the lowest at $2.76 and Barre the highest at $9.18. (Village residents in Yates pay a $2.60 rate.)

Murray would be No. 7 on the list out of the ten for highest tax rates with a $4.83 rate.

I would also like to point out that just because tax rates may of laid flat, tax bills did not. Through a series of reassessments in the last few years, including my 2019 reassessment that was over a 10 percent hike, will further entrench me and my family with brutal tax bills.

I would also like to point out that in the last few months our town has been hit with separation agreements from an improperly removed employee and also has a pending lawsuit of negligence on its hands which we the taxpayers are going to be accountable for. What will our taxes look like when this all comes out?

Mr. Wood, I thank you for your 25-plus years of service. It’s not an easy position to be in, but we shouldn’t try to sugar coat what is going on in our town.  We as a town are bleeding money and it’s coming out of the pockets of the residents.

Adam Moore

Holley