To the Editor:

Last Tuesday, at the Potsdam Community Center, I attended a discussion regarding the Village dissolution. It began with two different opinions expressed & then there was an informal question period. I would estimate there were about 30 people present.

I had come to the meeting to make an effort in deciding how I would vote. Either yes or no on the question of dissolving the village.

After I left the meeting and before I went to sleep I decided to review the topics discussed. I thought that I would imagine a balance scale upon which I would weigh the Yes & No positions and see which, in my opinion, would be the weightiest ones. Perhaps that exercise would help me clarify my thinking and provide me with a position to take and to choose how to vote.

Many of the answers to the questions asked about the results, if the Yes vote caused the village to dissolve, seemed to me to be less than definitive, rather, more unresolved issues to be determined later. For example, village taxes would decrease about 10% but some other taxes would cause that prospective decrease to be much less than 10%. By how much? We will see later.

The factual results of dissolution would be that the TOV (town outside the village) taxes would increase by double, or triple; the TOV people would have no vote on the question of dissolution; the Town would seek to create a police district; the probability of such a district being created will be less than probable (the last such action approved by the State was more than 90 years ago); the Village dissolving from the Town is an irreversible decision.

Other parts of the discussion were questions on the following, if the YES vote to dissolve was successful.

Sidewalk plowing, leaves & trimming removals, police presence, and other misc. services.

There were some suggested solutions, but no definitive solutions were offered. It seemed to me that in each case a cost to the village residents would be involved in continuing the service, or an amended service. We would see later.

The factual results of a No vote, not to dissolve I summarize in my thoughts as follows:

A. In 2 years another attempt to vote yes or no on the dissolution question could come before the voters again.

B. Life would go on as before.

C. TOV residents would not have their taxes raised considerably.

So, what are my thoughts now?

Perhaps if I vote NO, and it is in the plurality and there is no dissolution, the impact of what has taken place with regards dissolution will affect the village & town governing bodies to reconsider their present positions, such that they will find a way to resolve issues rather than adopt rigid stances that preclude resolutions. Also they can have time to plan ahead for required dissolution impacting. Wouldn’t that be grand.

Also, a successful vote Not to Dissolve will not impact my present services negatively. And I appreciate these services and wish them to continue at their present method & level of funding.

Most important to me, is that if I vote No, I will not be party to increasing the taxes of TOV residents, who are people, families, children & others who may find an increased tax burden to be unbearable & hurtful.

That is not what I want to happen. It is not the way I am built.

My vote will be NO.

If this letter results in many other voters considering to forego village dissolution now, so many fellow human beings will not have their lives adversely affected, it has been worth the time and effort to write it.

Demilt F. Aitken

Potsdam