FULL HOUSE AT 'TOWN MEETING'

Citizens of Galeton turned out in record numbers last week for the latest in a series of town meetings being held by the Potter County Board of Commissioners.

About 60 people were on hand to share their views with Commissioners Doug Morley, Susan Kefover and Paul Heimel and to hear the board's goals for its fouryear term and beyond.

Long-time Galeton resident Henry Lush suggested that the commissioners take an aggressive approach in fighting "unfunded mandates" passed down to counties by the states.

Lush also urged the commissioners to be frugal in light of the region's limited tax base, which he said overburdens property owners.

Morley responded that the board is willing to "just say no" if circumstances and the law will allow.

Heimel pointed out that the commissioners are forging relationships with elected officials and will be pushing on the unfunded mandates issue through those contacts.

He added that the board recently lobbied state lawmakers to enact legislation that would require a percentage of revenue from timber sales on state forest land be shared with county, school district and municipal governments.

On the issue of taxes, Galeton High School Assistant Principal Larry Smith asked the commissioners when they were going to tackle the complex issue of real estate tax reassessment.

Morley acknowledged the county's outdated tax assessments have cost area school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, since state reimbursements are based in part on the real estate values in a school district.

He added that previous boards of commissioners have been reluctant to address the issue, due to its complexity, and the present board does see the need for a reassessment.

"We are not avoiding it," Morley added. "It has come up at every town meeting and it's something that is clearly hurting the school districts, so it's something we will have to deal with."

Heimel pointed out that some forecasts he has seen suggest that updating the county's tax assessments would result in about onethird of property owners paying more, one-third paying less, and one-third seeing little change in their real estate tax bills.

Commissioner Kefover said the board is looking at ways to avoid the crushing expense of hiring consultants to conduct the reassessment. It's possible, she pointed out, that local citizens could be professionally trained and hired to conduct the field visits to each property.

Kefover also spoke in detail about the many years of planning that went into some of the community improvement projects currently underway in Galeton, including the Main Street revitalization and further development of the John Collins Memorial Park.

She updated citizens on the progress of finding a new owner for the Drake Personal Care Home in Galeton, which may be shut down by the Pa. Dept. of Public Welfare unless a new owner takes over.

The controversial issue of wind turbines being located in Potter County arose once again at last week's meeting.

John Tubbs, who recently opened a business in an empty downtown building, said he believes the tall wind towers

would detract from the region's appeal as a naturebased tourist destination.

Heimel said all three of the board members have been independently studying the turbine issue as the commissioners prepare to adopt an ordinance regulating industrial wind facilities in the county.

Much of the evening's discussion focused on steps that can be taken to revitalize the region's economy.

Morley cautioned that there are no "magic" solutions, but said a concerted effort is already underway involving public and private entities.

Kefover said Potter County is rebounding "step by step," citing plans for a small cheese production plant, a transportation industry technical training center and other potential employers who are showing promise.

Heimel added that the county has learned from the experience of "putting all of our eggs in one basket," with the demise of Adelphia in Coudersport.

"The key to the future, I think we'll all agree, is a more diverse economic and employment foundation," he said.

The commissioners announced the town meeting schedule in March and held initial sessions in Austin and Coudersport.

"This is especially important in this era of limited financial resources," the commissioners said in their news release. "We need to get a better sense of the needs and the priorities of each of our communities. The commissioners are in a critical position to interact with regional, state and federal agencies to advocate for local community needs."

Although the meetings are open to all, the commissioners are especially encouraging attendance by residents of the school district where each meeting is being held.

This week's town meeting was scheduled for Thursday night at Northern Potter. The series will wind up at 7 pm Tuesday, May 20, at Oswayo Valley High School.