The second referendum involving the land owned by Shen in the Exit 9 area occurred Tuesday resulting once again in lopsided results. The first referendum was opposed by more than 70% of the voters. This result nullified the sale of the property by the school district to a private developer. The YES votes Tuesday garnered more than 80% of the vote, which approved the land purchase agreement between the Town and school district. We will now execute the land purchase agreement and commence a comprehensive, public planning process for the future of the parcel in 2018. On two occasions in 2017, the community spoke loud and clear about the future of this parcel.
When the agreement with the school district was announced, I stated the Town Board would work to secure grant funding for every step of the process: purchase, planning, improvements.
I would like to cover a couple of important points again, based on questions I have received since Tuesday. The property must be used for public purposes. The Town does not have the option of selling any of the property for private development. We have never considered this option, but based on past history of the circumstances surrounding this land, it is important to restate that point. The purchase will not lead to a tax increase. The Town Board will fund the purchase by using a portion of the Town’s surplus. Our careful management of Town expenses, has allowed the Town to build and maintain a significant surplus. This reality allows the Town Board to consider every opportunity and respond to every eventuality. For 2018, the Town will continue without a Town Tax and your Highway Tax and EMS Tax are lower than they were in the year 2000. In a future post, I will review the budgeting “silos” in NYS Law and how public entities are funded.
We look forward to the community conversation on the land in 2018. Please join us!
Clifton Park and Beyond 