County Watch

by G. L. Penney

 On December 9, Jim Branston, supervisor for the Town of Nichols, spoke to the county legislature concerning the proposed Tioga Park. In brief, his complaint was that the people planning the project had made no effort to communicate with the Nichols town board. Although Mr. Branston praised the county planning director I cannot share in his applause. To my way of thinking, the planning director, Doug Barton, ought to have referred the interested parties to the Town of Nichols. Instead he chose to assume an authority that really was not his.

 The tendency of the county government to try to control all aspects of community endeavor is perhaps the major reason for our increasingly oppressive county taxes. We seem to be paying county employees for services which other community organizations perform for less money. Indeed, some of the organizations with which the county competes are supported entirely by voluntary contributions. Among these are: The Open Door Mission, The Tioga Rural Ministries, The Samaritan Counseling Center, Associated Christians of Tioga, various Lion's clubs, Kiwanis, Rotary, several chambers of commerce, and others.

 Mr. Barton's department costs in excess of $270,000 per year. If that figure were cut in half, there would be no real loss of services.

 But now the legislature has many new faces. I have talked to some of them and believe that they are ready for a new start. 

 Happy New Year!