Letters

While Supervisor Jay Schneiderman claims he has not raised taxes, and will repeat it endlessly to get reelected, he really means he has kept the tax rate intact, but the onerous reassessments, which he has done absolutely nothing to review or change, continue to soar. There have been increases every year, and tax bills doubled last year for many people in Tuckahoe.

If you can’t pay them, real estate hawks will be happy to help you out, literally, and demolish your home. It’s hard to believe this re-purposing of what limited land remains is not a major impetus of this murderous method.

In Tuckahoe, almost all of the money goes to support the Tuckahoe School, which resists merging with the Southampton School District, builds a surplus and, now and again, dabbles in real estate. Much of the current consequences raining down on Tuckahoe can be laid at the feet of some members of the School Board who have been in place for decades; the board must be revitalized and the community taken into account.

No relief in sight: Tuckahoe is also home to four famous, historical and tax-skimping golf courses. For those living in the triangle arbitrarily carved out to include them in the Tuckahoe School District and who also live in the Village of Southampton, yet another tax is imposed, making the burden threefold. Most egregious of all, however, is that Tuckahoe’s tax rate is 7.976 percent, while Southampton School District’s is 3.0008 percent.

Tuckahoe residents and other aggrieved taxpayers may want to take advantage of the Citizens Advisory Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday, September 3, at 7 p.m. at the Rogers Mansion (on the library site in the village). This meeting is to review the history of the Tuckahoe tax horror, and to try to find ways to change it. Linda Kabot will join us to fill us in on how and why this came about, as well as to listen to other community concerns.

Please tell your neighbors, and try to attend.

Did you know that the only other municipality on all of Long Island that imposes the 100 percent reassessment market value claw is Shelter Island? Or that property located in the Tuckahoe School District is devalued because of the taxation?

Much to learn. Come!

Frances GenoveseSouthampton