East Side Study Results Are In

To The Editor:
The results from the survey to dissolve the city of Fulton are in from the east side of Fulton.

Let me make this very clear that this was an Idea for a solution to the fiscal problems facing the city of Fulton. All ideas must be researched before you can rule them as not being the solution to a given problem. There were several others ideas and they also have been researched and the results were not in Fulton’s favor.

I believe some people have a misunderstanding of what dissolving the city of Fulton would mean. It would not mean the elimination of the fire department, it also wouldn’t mean the elimination of the police department, it wouldn’t mean the elimination of services either.

What it would mean is that the services and the size of those services would be something we could afford and keep our taxes at a manageable amount.

The taxes wouldn’t decrease for some time but future generations wouldn’t be saddled with the debt we created.

We were just informed that for the fourth year now we have been deemed a city in Fiscal Stress by the State Comptroller’s Office.

The mayor has hinted that with the rising costs of water and sewage along with the announced increase of tipping fees by the county that the costs could be passed on  to the homeowners.

The mayor may not have any choice. If he eliminates any services (trash) it will mean the homeowners will have to pay a private hauler and those costs are high.

Remember what I have always said, “Fees are just another form of taxes”

Here are the results from the survey performed on the east side.

The west side will be done next year.

I mailed out 320 survey cards. I received answers from 107 homeowners. That is 33% which is pretty good.

I want to thank everyone that took the time to read and send back the survey cards. I really want to thank those that gave some real thoughtful replies on their returns.

A simple NO would have been sufficient but the detailed answers were very nice.

Here are your results:  25 – Yes (petition the Common Council to dissolve), 82 –NO (don’t petition).

We have to see how the west side does next year.

I must say that a YES answer in no way says the city of Fulton would be dissolved.

It only means that we would form a group that would circulate petitions collecting signatures from taxpayers in an effort to see if they would like to petition the Common Council who in turn would petition the state to allow us to dissolve.

Then it would have to go to a referenda vote which would determine if the homeowners were in favor of dissolving.

This is a very long process.

Frank Castiglia Jr. missing or outdated ad config

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