No magic bullet

To the editor: Chester’s town and village taxes are set to rise by 28 and 9 percent respectively, while Warwick’s are going up a sustainable 4.4 and 2.7 percent. Years ago, Chester’s leaders chose the path of industrial parks, which led to the destruction of its community’s meadowlands, flooding, traffic congestion, ugly warehouses and costly infrastructure. Warwick’s taxpayers chose another path, preserving more than 2,400 acres of revenue-generating farmland and more than 10,000 acres of woodland, including lakes, meadows and vital waterways. Consequently, Warwick’s agriculture remains its major industry and draws tourist dollars, provides employment and preserves water and air resources and open space. Through matching funds from county, state, federal and private land trusts only a comparatively modest sum came from our local taxpayers and that will be paid off in only a few years. Visionary municipal leadership and citizen activism must take much of the credit for this extraordinary achievement. It makes me wonder if industrial parks are indeed the magic bullet for local tax relief and sustainable development. One thing is certain: There is more than one path to preserving our quality of life and moderating the escalation in taxes. Richard W. Hull Warwick