Simsbury Board of Selectmen Meeting November 18, 2024

Board of Selectmen Meeting November 18, 2024

I have come out of retirement to express my views on the purchase of the Sims-Croft building that is being presented to the Board of Selectmen that should be rejected as an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers and inconsistent with the policy of adding additional items to the Capital Projects by bumping longstanding projects that have been in the que for years.

The purchase of the Sims-Croft building at 2 Farms Village Road, near the High School should remain on the tax rolls and should be sold to a private investor.

The building currently generates $14,800 in taxes.

The appraised value on the last revaluation was $635,500.

The Town should not be in the Real Estate business of purchasing and maintaining buildings that are costly to maintain and administer without any benefit to the community.

The numbers associated with the Board of Education’s estimate of present and future costs are guesstimates of the costs associated with the purchase and use of the building for Special Education.

The purchase price of the building is high considering the market for office buildings have been greatly reduced and some remain vacant due to the market values .

The renovation of the building will be costly with all improvements needed presently and in the future.

The Board of Education, in their rush to renovate the Junior High at a great cost to the taxpayers did not contemplate having the 6th grade students move to the Junior High.

As the Board of Education reconfigures the schools, the Junior High will need another addition to accommodate the students.

There is a need to renovate Squadron Line School and plans for other Capital Improvements.

The State is reviewing regionalizing Special Education which would negate the need for the additional use of a Special Education facility in Town.

The Board of Selectmen should review the additional costs to the taxpayers for this purchase and understand that the Grand List has not improved and all new projects will burden the taxpayers with present costs, longevity costs, administrative costs, and additional services in Special Education.

The Board of Selectmen are fortunate to have a Deputy Selectman, Steve Antonio, a businessman in town with approximately a dozen properties to relate to the Board of Selectmen the burden to the business community when taxes are increased.

The additional costs and taxes from the purchase will burden the business community, increase costs in rentals an d taxes on property owners and make Simsbury with no prospects for economic development.

The Board of Selectmen should just say NO to the purchase of the Sims-Croft property.