Dear Mr. Tetreau and all the Fairfielders who read this:
Mr. Forcellina's Letter to the Editor is exactly why I just paid for a building lot in Boynton Beach, FL -- not a large lot but hey, who needs to mow the lawn every day?
I will get a brand new home, with a water view, pool and taxes of about $7,500 for a 2,600 square foot home. We currently pay $14,000 for a 3,300 square foot home and 1/5 acre in the University area! No state income tax, low other cost of living such as electric at about $250-350 per month instead of about $11,000 we are paying now for electric all year round & oil! The streets there are super clean wherever I drive not like around Fairfield where I pick up trash on a weekly basis along side North Benson, exits 23 & 24 on I-95. My husband is 67 years young, has to pay for a beach sticker we only need for the dump since we do not use the beach. We do not use the new million-dollar clubhouse either but helped pay for it! We get nothing in return.
This is what I figured out: A family from, let's say New Jersey, moves to our town with three children. That is $32,000 per family, per year to ship off to school. They will pay let's say $18,000 in property taxes which leaves $14,000 to be paid by myself and my husband. We had one son, he went to public school and then off to Fairfield Prep and then to St. Michaels College. We did not cost the tax payers of Fairfield much!
What gets to me is that these families move in and out from town, put a burden on our town since they usually stay only for a few years and rack up huge education cost compared to what they pay in taxes. I do still believe that each child should get the best education they can, but not on my husband's income -- he worked his butt off for 40 years to finally be able to retire and have some fun. I am younger and still working. I have my own business and will be the bread winner for the next 20 years. I have no intention of spending my hard earned money on people who choose to come and go. I am out of here as soon as our home is built next year in May and will laugh myself silly living a lifestyle most people can only dream about! Florida here we come!
Good luck to all the others who are trying to hang onto their homes and survive financially while living in Fairfield! Enough is enough! By the way, I not only take my tax money with me but also a good feeling that I will be finally living in a neat, clean, fun and sunny "HappyLand". Keep up the lousy job!
Best,
Evelyn Reynolds
