To the editor:
I have read one too many articles bashing the Goodrich Village Council.
Many complaints about the village tax can be countered with simple explanations. If you were not aware of the village taxes you would owe on the home you purchased, you were either misled by your real estate agent or you failed to research the property thoroughly. The answer to the comparison of taxes on various properties with the village is easy, too. They vary due to the purchase price of the home. This is something that is not exclusive to Goodrich, it happens all over Michigan. The purchase price is used to determine the tax basis until that property is sold again. When the property changes hands, the tax is figured on the latest sale price. Hence, someone who has lived in a home for a long time is going to be paying lower taxes than someone who just purchased their home. Any knowledgeable realtor should be able to explain this properly.
In response to the level of the Millpond, I have lived on the Millpond for ten years, and every year the water level has fluctuated. The south end has always been lower. Perhaps this is another instance where someone didn’t research their property and its surroundings before making a purchase. This is not my fault, or the fault of the village. In the last two months, a friend and I have ridden our bikes around the village, experiencing no flat tires, no broken glass, and no dead animals.
I can’t imagine why people would move to a community and then cause such a commotion as we have seen here in Goodrich. They complain about taxes, but yet what are they doing wasting taxpayers? dollars on their own agenda? Each recall costs $2,000-$3,000. Then there is even more expense when the recall creates a vote.
The one thing these recall advocates will accomplish, on top of wasting taxpayers? dollars is to further tarnish the reputation of Goodrich. Many people are trying to sell their homes in a very bad market, and a recall will be another strike against buying a home in Goodrich that we don’t need.
Don’t aid the upheaval in Goodrich-don’t sign the recall petition. Let’s shut them down and shut them up.
Brenda Hawkins, Goodrich