Jefferson County wrong to raise assessments

To the legislators of Jefferson County, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Your self-serving motives are all too transparent. We know about your recent budget cutbacks: Don't you think we know that you'll want to use the increased assessment values to pick up the extra cash you are losing from the state? I do not believe for one minute that if our assessments go up, our tax rate will go down and our taxes will not increase as you've said in your comments to the media. Just the opposite — I sincerely believe that given the cutbacks in the money that the county receives from the state of New York, that the county will use the higher assessments to get more of our money instead of trimming the fat from their own budgets which is what you should be doing.

Across Central and Northern New York property valuations are being called into question. Spafford, Henderson, Altmar, Alex Bay, New Haven and the list goes on. And let's not forget about Cicero. Look what a mess it created in that town. Don't tell me that you were not aware the program was flawed well before we all went to grievance! You knew there was a problem with the valuations in Henderson. I, along with a hundred or so other people met with your assessors ourselves and let you know.

As a property owner in the town, I agree with the decision made by the town of Henderson to roll back the assessments and I also believe that they are speaking on behalf of what's best for all residents of the town, not just a small percentage as the county would have the media believe. I am not alone. There were hundreds who showed up for grievance and still hundreds more who could not come back the second night and had to leave their paperwork without a chance to be heard. There are still hundreds more who are seasonal and could not make the limited time frame available, but you would have us believe those people are happy with their assessment because it serves your argument better.

As a resident of Jefferson County, I resent the recent decision by the county leaders to override the decision made by the town. The town residents have spoken and the county needs to listen. You are supposed to be working for the residents, not against them.

Joanne Plantz

Mannsville