Rescind the theater purchase

Ms. Leonard:

I have been a resident of Monroe since 1996. I am writing to you to express my deep concern over the Town Board’s decision to purchase the Monroe Theater building.

This decision seems to have been made whimsically and without any forethought or planning. There are just so many reasons why this purchase should not be ma. Among those: Government ownership of the property takes it off the tax rolls, and further reduces tax levies by the elimination of a viable business that draws consumers to the area, who spend money at other downtown businesses.

While yes, the Monroe Theater was not a financial success, that is not to say another business owner could not make it successful. I don’t think a 2-3 year run is a definitive indication that a theater at this location might not ever be successful. Considering the previous owner’s legal problems, it seems that a new ownership is considerably more likely to be a success at running the theater.

That said, the fact that the Board would consider an $880,000+ purchase without public input, against the Village Mayor’s objections, and without any idea of what the use for the building would be (beyond some amorphous “town government center”) and what the renovations to make it viable would be, is essentially a gross and reprehensible miscarriage of the Board’s civic fiduciary duties.

I implore the board to rescind it’s purchase offer on this property. There are thousands of taxpayers who will be extremely angry should this purchase proceed, and I guarantee that I, for one, will be voting out every incumbent on the Board if it does.

Matt Blitz

Monroe