- By Stephen L. Grimm
- Opinions
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June 6, 2012To Whom It May Concern,
The purpose of this letter is to express my support for the proposed sewer project in the Town of Lansing. There are two major reasons why the sewer project is good for the Lansing Central School System.
First, the school district is currently in need of replacing our aged septic system at a cost of nearly $2,000,000. The construction, operation and maintenance costs for tying into the Town Sewer would cost approximately the same as the cost of a new septic system over time. Also, matching our need with the Town's resource makes good sense for the taxpayers we share.
Secondly, our school district is experiencing a major loss of revenue, not only from New York State aid, but from our largest taxpayer, the AES Cayuga Power Plant. With this instability of future revenue, the District is in need of local economic development to backfill the loss of the State and Power Plant revenue, thereby diversifying the tax base. Having a sewer will stimulate economic development and provide the possibility of not only filling the gap left by AES, but enhancing the tax base even further, thereby providing long term financial sustainability for our school district and taxpayers.
Finally, I urge you to look favorably upon the sewer project in the Town of Lansing, as it represents hope for our school district and taxpayers as we navigate some of the most difficult financial times in the history of our state and region.
Sincerely,
Stephen L. Grimm
Superintendent
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