They Write Letters

This is what happen when people go off half-cocked and don't do their homework. Myers's grandstanding in refusing to sign the resolution authorizing the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes for The Birches senior housing complex in Saugerties now looks even more ill-advised. The company sent the Saugerties Times a letter to the editor that was published a couple of days ago. In it, they lay out exactly why this is an incredibly stupid move by Myers. You need to read the whole thing if you want the full perspective, but there is one section I'd like to highlight:

The new valuation would bring the per-unit payment to $95.50 a dwelling, which in our formal request we increased to $100. This is the same per-unit PILOT that the towns of Esopus and Ulster agreed to for Birchez senior housing. Sometime in June of this year, the town attorney communicated to our attorney that the town was prepared to amend the PILOT, which would allow us to pay $200 a year per unit, with a two percent per unit annual increase retroactive to 2008, regardless of whether or not we receive any increases in rent.

In the interest of moving forward, we agreed.

If I'm reading this correctly, The Birches, under current housing law, should be assessed at under $100 per unit. But the company agreed to pay more than double this amount, and four out of the five board members -- everyone but the addled Myers -- agreed to this new arrangement. So, how is what Myers is doing looking out for the interests of the taxpayers?

I'm increasingly baffled by this one, folks.