Letter to the Editor: Get the Vote of All Taxpayers

Dear Mr. Heise and Board of Trustees,

I write you as one of five partners in my family’s Egg Harbor Property Partnership. The Egan family has paid property taxes to the village for more than a half-century; Egg Harbor has been our summer residence for an additional decade.

I am dismayed that, yet again, the village has decided to undertake a costly and perhaps unnecessary project. Although the project is being promoted as an attempt to widen Hwy. 42, the design actually appears to narrow the thoroughfare, to apparently slow down traffic on Hwy. 42 through the village, perhaps in an effort to benefit small business owners along the road.

As a retailer for more than four decades in Santa Fe, New Mexico, an area dependent on seasonal tourism, as are the merchants of Egg Harbor, we face the reality that we have at best three months for decent sales – and many months of zero or pitiful income. No amount of futzing with the road through town will improve retail sales. Sorry, but this is a dumb idea! Yet another expensive, unnecessary project of little benefit to anyone but developers. I predict that if vehicular passage though town is slowed and parking is more restricted, visitors will avoid the village altogether. I also believe this design will create safety hazards for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists opening their car doors in a narrow space.

Fewer than 200 permanent residents can vote in village elections, while more than 1,300 of us pay real estate taxes. The overwhelming majority of taxpayers have no voice in matters that impact us, and for which we’re financially liable. Taxation without representation is tyranny, is it not? It seems only fair to me that the village should pass an ordinance requiring village elders to solicit all taxpayers’ votes when they propose to spend more than $500,000 on any project.

I respectfully request that this proposal not be considered a done deal until it is subjected to a referendum that includes all taxpayers. It’s the only fair thing to those of us who will foot the bill.

Thank you for your consideration of my request.

Martha J. Egan

Egg Harbor, Wis.