January 24, 2010
To the Editor:
In the midst of a terrible economy, the tragic event in Haiti, and every day stresses, many people are not focused on something as ordinary as what is happening with the Orange County Water Authority. But it is going to cost everyone money if residents of the county do not wake up and pay attention to what is quietly happening in Goshen.
When the Orange County Water Authority (OCWA) law was written by the county, it included the creation of a county-wide water district. Having a county-wide district is unusual and creates a taxpayer’s problem. By being county-wide, it gives power to the county to tax everyone in the boundaries of the district. The county may choose to help areas identified as ‘priority growth areas’ from its comprehensive plan. But people all over the county will pay taxes for those growth areas while not having access to any of the water themselves.
To repeat, in Orange, the county will be able to tax everyone, including residents with wells, users of community water and municipal water.
The OCWA sounds like the MTA, where taxes can be levied on all residents whether they benefit or not, and with no oversight by elected officials.
Get in touch with your legislators, and get them to stop the current version of the water plan.
Sonia Ayala
Blooming Grove, NY
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