I'm just a retired person living and loving in Aurora and the Town of Ledyard. I know from the papers and news programs that there is an initiative happening in Albany which will affect all of us. That has to do with holding down property tax increases.

Our new governor is proposing a cap or hat on property tax increases and is causing a minor flap among our elected representatives. I don't know what our local guys are promoting, but it should be support for this idea. An idea whose time has come as long as it is not grandfathered. Aurora and Ledyard, as well as other towns in Southern Cayuga, are full of retirees who can't handle the wicked increases that continue, year after year. Whenever an increase is proposed, the way to avoid conflict is to equate the overall increase to its impact on an average household in the town or village.

Sure Charley, the new school rocket launch will only cost the average household $4 per year. Yes, Aunt Martha, new sidewalks in the village will be bonded for 20 years and will only cost the average household $12 per year. (For 20 years). This will only hurt a little bit more. Well guys, these little bites are cumulative as the sidebar highlights. With $4 gasoline, and crushing inflation in food prices, at this rate, I'll be on welfare in eight more years.

Most of us are too old to become activists for tax control and hopefully reduction. But letter writing, e-mails and phone calls make an impact, if placed where it counts. Our local representatives names and contact information are routinely published in this paper.

There is no easy segue to the next topic: the post office building owned by the Village of Aurora. The building will need major reconstruction to meet post office standards, and removal and replacement of the entire roof. We are talking a major capital project, which normally would be financed by a 20-year bond, with substantial payments each year.

In Aurora, there are roughly 241 parcels or properties which are broken down into 100 non-taxable and 141 taxable. That means that 141 homeowners would pay for the capital project over 20 years. Because we are telling Albany to cut taxes and its revenues, there will be less or no state funding for a project like this, and the full burden comes back to the property owner. It would be far cheaper to have mail delivered to the door and raze the current post office building for use as parking for the village park.

William Dugan is former

supervisor for the town of Ledyard