Our school district has been faced with year after year of budget squeezing.  Due to budget cuts from the state and the need to keep taxes from skyrocketing any higher than they already have been, the New Paltz Board of Education has been forced to increase class sizes, cut programs and teachers, and indefinitely postpone various projects that would improve our schools.

Wilmorite, a Rochester based multi billion dollar developing company is currently before the New Paltz Planning Board proposing to build a 264 unit apartment complex (Park Point) in New Paltz.  They have applied to the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) to become a pilot project.  This means that if their request is approved by the IDA, Park Point WILL NOT have to pay any property taxes, sales taxes, or mortgage recording taxes. 

The assessed value of this project is approximately $50 MILLION.  If the Park Point application is denied by the IDA, they will be required to pay taxes in the same manner as every other property owner, which is based on their assessed value.  In this case, the property tax portion alone will give our school district approximately $1 MILLION per year and an additional $400,000 per year to the town of New Paltz and Ulster County.

For these reasons, we strongly believe that the Park Point/Wilmorite Pilot Application should be denied by the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency, and all local taxing authorities should stand behind their tax payers and tell them so!

Please help to stop this injustice by signing this petition.  Then tell your friends and neighbors to sign it.  Show up to the New Paltz School Board and Planning Board meetings and tell those boards to take responsibility for their taxpayers by writing the IDA letting them know Park Point should pay their fair share of taxes!

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP OUR SCHOOLS AND MAKE NEW PALTZ A MORE AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE.