Opinion: We must find ways to keep our costs down if the Village is to survive

Dear Editor,

As a life long resident of the village, and someone who’s involved in many activities and organizations, I believe I have an insight into the many moving parts of the Village. 

Like others, we here in Owego continue to recover from the devastation of the floods of 2011, as well as the flooding in 2005 and 2006. I believe I speak for many in saying that these floods have had an emotional as well as financial impact on their lives. For some, recovery may never be possible. 

The aftermath of these natural disasters also brought about the changes in flood insurance costs that continue to rise yearly for many folks! These increases alone, in many cases, are enough to create a financial burden, not withstanding the usual increases in taxes both directly and indirectly! I don’t know about you, but none of my fixed costs are going down either. 

Village, Town, County, and School taxes are costs that increase yearly as well. Many people are also faced with the high costs and a rise in Medical Insurance Plans with higher deductibles and out of pocket costs. Increases in Social Security payments have not offset the costs for our Senior Community, adding more stress to their financial burdens. 

After contributing to society for so many years, we should all hope they could enjoy these years of their lives. There are many things we all would love to obtain if we could afford to do so. 

The easy solution for some is to “just raise taxes”. I’ve even had folks tell me that if you can’t afford the increases, then move! All of this leads me to the upcoming Village Elections. 

As usual there are vast differences in those who are running for office. One recurring theme heard by some who are running is that we need to keep all items and expenses in the current budget and in fact we need more! However, we are never presented with short-term costs or long-term effects. 

Therefore, there’s a tendency to make emotional decisions without all the facts on some very decisive issues. Most decisions in everyday life and work should be and are based on “getting all the facts”! 

I would like to thank the current board for their hard work! As I well know personally, the job is not a popularity contest. Sometimes the decisions made are not always popular, but necessary. 

I, and many others, appreciate the work they are doing in providing village residents with all the facts that can be used in making informed decisions. We don’t need promises that some make without knowing what it takes to deliver on those same promises. 

In closing, we must find ways to keep our costs down if the Village is to survive. I believe members that are on the current board are what we need to do so. It won’t be entirely painless, but if we don’t change the way we do business, we will be faced with more economic stress for all. 

Sincerely, 

John M. Loftus

Owego, N.Y.