Sparta senior on the fence over referendum

To the Editor: I refer to the forthcoming Sept. 26 referendum and must confess I am having a major struggle deciding how to vote. Of course I am in favor of offering our young people a superior education taught by a cadre class of first class teachers and housed in excellent facilities . On the other hand, a new $71 million plus school will significantly increase my already skyrocketing local taxes. This will make it increasingly difficult for this and many other senior citizens to continue to live in Sparta . What are we to do? Move out? Is this what are town fathers want us to do? Consequently, to entice us to vote in favor of the new school I believe seniors should be offered some financial incentives such as: 1. Eliminate most if not all school taxes for seniors. 2. If option number one is not possible, reduce school taxes by a meaningful percentage and peg future increases to the official US Government inflation index. 3. Increase the municipal taxes by no more than four to five percent per annum. Additionally, I suggest that effective immediately, all new residential construction must pay an impact fee equal to first year taxes. I hope all seniors will carefully reflect on how their vote will impact on their taxes. Bill Westerman Sparta