Showing posts with label Open Letter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Open Letter. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Gloucester, VA - Readers Respond To No New Taxes In The County


Please publish this open letter to the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors.

You made the correct decision to not raise taxes on the people of Gloucester; however, why were you considering raising taxes in this economy in the first place?

            To pay for schools that are not needed?
            To make changes to downtown that do not help the businesses located there?

To help you make intelligent choices in the future, I guess you need to be taught what you missed in school for whatever reason.

Why do people live in Gloucester County Virginia?
            Not for the high paying jobs in the county
            Not for the shopping
            Not for looking like every other city/town in the area?

This is a bedroom community where people go to get away from the governments across the river with the restrictions, taxes, and wall-to-wall cars.  Thanks for keeping the toll on the bridge, because that basically keeps us a “gated community,” and it limits the growth and congestion that are in all the other areas of Tidewater.  We want limited taxes, limited restrictions, and limited services.

On the subject of restrictions, why did you vote to approve the Triad suggestions for downtown Gloucester?  Why do we need to do the same thing as everybody else?  We do not need to follow; we do not have the population (tax base) that other areas of tidewater have.  If you want that type of living, you need to move to any other area in Tidewater.  Oh, that’s right – you live here for “low taxes.”  That will not be the case if you go through with the proposed plans.

Do you want people to shop in downtown Gloucester?  Based on the websites of “ The Triad” the answer is no.  However, I would think the business owners would like it to be yes.  Here is a hint for you:  the more they sell, the greater the sales tax income there is for the area as well as employment.  How can you help businesses succeed?  Good question!  Stop making changes to the rules requiring them to spend lots of money to just keep the doors open.  I saw the pictures of what is being done in the Edgewood Shopping Center.  Loss of parking -- resulting in fewer customers and less income.  This causes prices to go up and the businesses to be non competitive with businesses across the water.

I work on the other side of the river and do about half my shopping there because of costs and selection.  I have and do shop local to help local businesses, but the economy does require me to consider prices.  I live here because there are good deals on real estate; however, your artificially high assessments and considering raising taxes hurts the local builders and all of the new subdivisions that are being built.

The downtown proposal for Gloucester would cheapen what we have to start with in the downtown.  I have traveled to many locations in Europe, touring the cities and towns in many countries.  I have also seen a number of the Town Centers that are being built in the US with a lot in Tidewater.  They look like cheap plastic copies of European Cities. But they miss the most important part of the European Cities, the people and character that has developed over the many years they have been there.  Like a new subdivisions they have no charm or character for a number of years.  Compare Historic Williamsburg to any of the Town Centers in the area.  They will never have the character of Historic Williamsburg.

A Registered Voter

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