Moving City Hall would be a costly mistake
To the editor:
Thank you for the coverage you have provided on the continuing debate about whether or not Presque Isle should relocate city hall. Still it goes on!
The taxpayers of Presque Isle need to be awakened to what is being proposed. After someone approached the City Council offering to lease them space for city hall, the current building was placed on the market. A request for proposal for a new site was published and did yield two potential locations.
We now are faced with the prospect of selling city hall for $150,000. Based on the figures that were published on the city’s website, it was estimated that the move itself would cost $75,000 while renovations to one of the proposed locations for “council chambers as well as minor improvements” (as taken from the website) may cost $100,000. Using just these figures, one can see quickly that just the move without any lease payment results in an expenditure of $25,000 more that the sale will produce. If we keep city hall at 12 Second Street and use some of the money allotted for the move, would we not be further ahead?
City Hall as it now stands does need serious improvements. My opinion is that they can be handled at a pace that the taxpayers can tolerate. Would it not be wiser to take the $75,000 and begin to improve that which we already own?
The taxpayers will be seeing an increase of some amount in order to complete the proposed community center, I have been told. That amount is yet to be determined. How much more can you handle in your tax bill? If you own property, you will see the bill. If you rent property, there is a good chance that you will feel the effect as your landlord pays a higher bill.
The decision to move the functions of the city to a new location has not yet been finalized. It is not “a done deal.” However, if people do not read, learn, and make their wishes known, it will be too late.
Someone stated that a community that does not own its own city hall and its own school ceases to exist. It loses its identity. Let that not be Presque Isle. Citizens of Presque Isle, please become informed and understand the implications of this possible move. Make your wishes known to the members of the Presque Isle City Council or send a note by way of the city’s website to those in power.
Please help save and revitalize our historic old building.
Carol MacPherson
Presque Isle
