My biggest concerns as a town councilman were to keep Monroe’s taxes low and avoid lawsuits. Now we have been forced to pay $19.5 million for 260 acres of land on Rye Hill that was originally evaluated for $9 million. The taxes for the town residents will increase up to $900 per household to purchase this land. But the town board has not been transparent about what will come next. If they sell this land in part or in whole to recoup costs, the taxpayers will not get a refund. Our hard-earned dollars that we pay because we feel Rye Hill is worth protecting will not be refunded to us if this land is flipped. Your dollars would go toward inflating the budget of the very town board who may flip this land without a vote. It’s time to flip the board, not the land. Maureen Richardson has been seeking grants and outside aid to defray the cost of acquiring Rye Hill. She contacted our state representatives, as well as various other agencies dedicated to preserving open space. However, this effort was shut down by the current board majority. They instead exclusively used our dollars to purchase this land. It is time for new leadership in the town of Monroe, leadership that will work to get Monroe the grants and other aid that the town desperately needs. The Preserve Monroe line is leadership with the vision to take us into the future while preserving the important aspects of our past.
Rick Colon
Harriman