Letter to the Editor
Thoughts on the County Office Building 

It is a shame that there is so little concern and not too many people are upset about the travesty that is being forced on the residents of the Village of Owego by the Tioga County Legislature by their plan to destroy 17 very nice homes in the village for the sake of a new county office building to replace the "Pink Prison" currently located on Main Street in the Village of Owego.

 The homes represent a loss of $63,845.54 in taxes to the village, Owego-Apalachin School District, Town of Owego, and Tioga County. This is based on an average assessment of $7,000.00 per home. The remaining village residents will have to make up the loss of $18,747.89 per year plus any new increase in village taxes, which the village fathers promise to give us. Village residents will also have to shell out a higher portion of the school, town, and county tax, too.

 If the present Tioga County Legislature continues with this insane plane, they will probably have to pay out one million seven hundred thousand dollars ($1,700,000.00) for the 17 homes and their demolition and create all kinds of Hell in the four block square in the center of the village for two to three years  - this on top of just having the closing of the bridge in the village for over a year.

 There appears to be a viable alternative. If the property on Southside drive is out of the question - and it should not be - then make a sincere attempt to relocate in the Owego-Apalachin Middle School on Elm Street which will soon be moving to the vicinity of the High School. Moving to the Middle School, then we can sell the "Pink Prison" and get that property back on the tax rolls to the benefit of the village, county, and town.

 If the new building on Main Street is a "done deal," then let's force the Tioga County Legislature to sell the property on Southside Drive for whatever they can get and eat their losses. We should also put pressure on the Owego-Apalachin School District to give the Middle School land back to the village.

 While we're at it, let's get the village board to start earning their keep by getting 
some action on the lot on Front Street that was burned out over two years ago and market the vacant lot just north of Temple Street. It might take some muscle and hard work but it could be done.

 (Numbers based on village tax of $157.55; town/county $106.28; and school $272.69 all per thousand of assessed valuation.)

Ralph Telfer
Owego