Watershed coalition joins fray over large parcel law

By Jay Braman Jr., Correspondent Daily Freeman February 1, 2006

The Coalition of Watershed Towns Executive Committee, in a nearly unanimous decision, has decided it's within its rights to enter the debate over the state's large parcel law, which affects taxation of reservoir property and has divided towns within the New York City watershed.
At a special meeting Monday evening, Shandaken Supervisor Robert Cross Jr., a member of the committee, voted against the idea.
The issue was whether or not the coalition was within the parameters of its mission statement if it considered a request from the towns of Olive and Neversink to ask the state Legislature to amend the large parcel law. According to Olive Councilman Bruce LaMonda, his town wants New York City reservoirs to be excluded from the law. Reservoir towns say they'll be hit with major tax increases if the counties and school districts they occupy adopt the state legislation, while advocates of the law say it provides for more equitable taxation.
The committee didn't decide anything Monday other than to agree it would consider the request, but it was clear that all involved are ready to send that message to Albany, despite objections from Cross and Woodstock town Supervisor Jeremy Wilber. Both say the law evens out the school taxes in districts like Onteora.
Olive, they say, has been undertaxed for decades, thanks to New York City paying taxes for its Ashokan reservoir, valued at $340 million, to the town instead of directly to the school district, which is what the law would require.
Frank Bachler, supervisor of the Delaware County town of Meredith, led the way for the rest of the committee, saying he was appalled that some towns like Shandaken and Woodstock in Ulster County would even consider doing something to another town that would cause taxes to jump by over 50 percent.
"Delaware County would never do it," he said. "I just think its wrong," he said.
Bachler said the way he reads the coalition's mission statement, the coalition can get involved with any watershed issues. This one, he said, is "very divisive," and needs the coalition's attention. All agreed but Cross, who argued that Olive has enjoyed a tax break for many years at the expense of neighboring towns.
Middletown Supervisor Len Utter said Olive's not to blame for that good fortune.
"It's the luck of the draw," he said. "A house in Colchester pays about a third of what my house pays in taxes. I don't hold that against them."
The decision, however, may bring repercussions. Committee Chairman Patrick Meehan said the new interpretation of the coalition's mission might open the floodgates for all sorts of special interest groups or individual municipalities to seek the group's support for a variety of causes.
Until Monday, the coalition was seen exclusively as an advocate of the watershed region, created solely to battle its arch nemesis, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. That department holds considerable power in the region and has the authority to impose regulations.
It was under just such a circumstance in the early 1990s, when the city agency announced plans to severely regulate land use in the region, that the coalition was formed. At that time, the coalition was the voice of a unified group of over 50 watershed communities that successfully spoke out against the overregulation.
Now, Meehan said, the coalition is using its power to help some watershed communities at the expense of others.
"It's a Pandora's Box," he warned.

AREA NEWSPAPER
CONTACT INFORMATION

ULSTER/ DUTCHESS

Poughkeepsie Journal
PO Box 1231
Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
(845) 454-2000
For an on line letter to the editor. Fill out this form

ULSTER COUNTY

Saugerties Times
Monday deadline
P.O.Box
Phone:334- 8200
FAX your letter 334-8202
saugertiestimes@ulsterpublishing
(Attention Erica Freudenberger, editor)
P.O.Box 3329
Kingston, NY 12402

Albany Times Union
Times Union
90 State Street
Albany, NY 12207
(518) 454-5091
For an on line letter to the editor. Fill out this form

COLUMBIA COUNTY
The Independent
Indenews (online)

P.O. Box 360
Hillsdale, NY 12529
Phone (518) 325-4400
FAX (518) 325-4497
Parry Teasdale, editor

letters to editor require form through website

***NOTE: Our websites make an effort to glean info for our readers from local papers. This is no way a substitute for subscribing or picking up a local paper. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts local newspapers and publications make to our community.