Editor:

The panic has started. Do homeowners in Monroe County have ANY IDEA how to budget to meet the new property taxes that are looming next year? No! The county commissioners and the school board directors do, but they are playing “hide the ball” with that information.

Monroe County just gave Tyler Technologies millions of dollars to intrude onto your property and decide how much you could sell it for. Tyler then developed a massive database with all this information and turned it over to the county. Monroe County commissioners now know exactly the assessed value of every property in this county. Yet, they are insisting that we have to wait until December and, in the case of the school districts, next June to have any inkling of what we will owe in taxes next year. I say this is cruel and unfair.

I am a retired senior living on a fixed income. Each month I carve out enough money so that in March and September I can cover the exorbitant tax bills that come in the mail. So far, I have been able to just meet my tax obligations, maintain my home, buy food and pay for medications. I’m now looking at the calendar and HAVE NO IDEA how many dollars I have to put away each month to meet next year’s tax bills.

The words coming out of the mouths of our county commissioners and school board directors are absolute lies. They know, without a doubt, exactly what the millage rate would be to meet the current year’s budget. They have a moral obligation to share this information with the homeowners of Monroe County, so we can budget for next year’s taxes or face the realization we will be taxed out of our homes.

Patricia Foucault

Kresgeville