Letters

I’ve lived here for more than 38 years and have always been amazed and astounded at how much more we pay in taxes in the unincorporated areas of town than all those in villages, like Quogue, Westhampton Beach, Southampton, etc., and how much less we receive in services.

Moreover, without any local control, our taxes will only get comparatively higher. Without any local control, it is highly likely that more and more new, large residential developments will be built on our undeveloped parcels here in East Quogue. I don’t imagine the residents of Quogue or those other fancy places would allow them in their villages! Much better and more politically expedient to place them in the unincorporated parts of town!

In addition to the loss of our precious open space, development likely will bring many more children into our school. Imagine the tax increases then! To accommodate them, we might even be forced to build a high school!

And the school will not be the only place we feel the burden. Development will put a lot of pressure on all services. Those tax increases would make the $50 (or even a $100) annual increase to have the protection of a village structure seem like chump change!

Full disclosure: I am not a year-round resident — but I am a full-time taxpayer since 1981! I’m also a real estate agent in Westchester County, where there are similar discrepancies between towns, incorporated villages and unincorporated hamlets. As a rule, my clients much prefer to buy in incorporated villages. That’s because incorporated villages generally enjoy substantially higher property values, lower tax rates and a higher quality of life. People feel proud of their villages and a greater sense of community.

Why “fix” East Quogue? Not because it’s “broke” — but because it could be so, so much better.

Linda Dietz East Quogue