Letter To The Editor – Thoughts On The Berlin Lumber Purchase

To the Editor:
I am writing to express my opinion regarding purchase of the old Berlin Lumber property for the Town government and highway use. Although I recognize the need for new facilities, it would be a mistake to buy property that we, as taxpayers, can not afford to maintain. To buy property is one thing, but to maintain it over the long run is something else. For starters, the roofs on the buildings are 30 years old. Has anyone put a roof on a house recently? The price has tripled over the past year.
I see that the Town bids out the grounds work on the postage stamp grounds of the Watipi Building and Town Hall. Yet, the Town Highway Department says they will take on the acres of land that the old Berlin Lumber has. Why can’t they do the little we have already? Will that reason keep them from taking on 100 times more work?
The property far exceeds our needs. It only makes sense to buy what we need and not anything more. Unless a person is rich, he does not buy a mansion when all he needs is a roof over his head. Few folks in Berlin are rich, and if they are they probably didn’t get that way by buying property they didn’t need. There is much talk about sharing the property. That is a great idea, but making that kind of an investment shouldn’t be done based on possibilities. Legal, long standing agreements should be in place before the commitment is made to buy.
Lastly, I would ask folks to consider the loss of tax income from that property. Are the Town taxpayers so well off that they can afford to take on their part of that loss? Then, of course, add to that the ongoing cost of maintaining that property.
I would ask each person who reads this to try to make it personal. Pretend you need a new home or apartment. Would you buy more then you need because it might be considered a bargain? Would you buy it knowing you would not be able to afford it in the long run? It is your money and your neighbor’s money you are spending here. Just because you will be only paying up once a year at tax time will not make it any the less painful.
I would ask my fellow Berliners to vote no. Our Town Board can do better then saddle us with more than we can afford. Just because it is easy and a bargain in some folks eyes does not make it right.
Sincerely,
John “Smitty” Smith
Plank Road, Berlin