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Our opinion: Act now on reassessment

Many Warren County property owners are getting letters with their new tentative property reassessments and next steps in the process. We’re sure many - particularly those who have seen their assessment increase - have questions. Now is the time to ask them. The entier process of reassessing properties is to make sure everyone is paying their fair share. For years some have been paying too much in property taxes while others weren’t really paying their fair share - particularly those whose properties were purchased closer to the last countywide property reassessment. It’s ...

Our opinion: Drive downtown parking study

City Council members have approved a smaller, $3 million project to fix the worst of the issues in the Clark Street parking garage. The smaller rehabilitation project won’t be the last time we talk about the Clark Street garage. And, in our opinion, our next talk should include whether the Clark Street garage needs to continue to exist. Mike Holtz, city manager, said before the COVID-19 pandemic the Clark Street garage was typically 90% filled with usage at its highest levels the year before the pandemic. But the past five years have seen decreasing use of the Clark Street garage. ...

Our opinion: Drive downtown parking study

City Council members have approved a smaller, $3 million project to fix the worst of the issues in the Clark Street parking garage. The smaller rehabilitation project won’t be the last time we talk about the Clark Street garage. And, in our opinion, our next talk should include whether the Clark Street garage needs to continue to exist. Mike Holtz, city manager, said before the COVID-19 pandemic the Clark Street garage was typically 90% filled with usage at its highest levels the year before the pandemic. But the past five years have seen decreasing use of the Clark Street garage. ...

Readers Speak

A new process Dear Editor, I’m beginning to understand what this whole tariff program is about. It is driven by the desire to extend the 2017 tax cuts with some adjustments. Our wheelers and dealers are not looking for zero tariff agreements. Being a net importer, 10% or any number higher than zero helps to offset the costs of the upcoming tax extension. Now there is a point of diminishing returns where excessive tariffs will throw the country into a recession and/or cause higher inflation. That’s why we had the sudden 90-day pause. It has reached the point where the ...

May and Law Days

Although May 1 just passed, I want to introduce you to some of the significance of the day. First of all, May Day dates to around 2 A.D. It had its origins in the festivals of Europe. I recall the Campus School in Fredonia celebrating May Day. One year I attended the ceremony because my cousin was part of it. She attended the Campus School and was chosen I believe as a “flower girl”. We all gathered around a Maypole that had ribbons flowing from it. The ribbons were held by children who helped to weave them around the Maypole. It was a little dance of sorts with some music. The ...

Our opinion: Efficiency is not all that bad

Polls show many Americans are increasingly unhappy with the way the federal government has use President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. That doesn’t mean Pennsylvania Republicans’ efforts to pursue a Pennsylvania Department of Government Efficiency are doomed. We think Republicans will have a harder time now getting DOGE legislation through the state House and Gov. Josh Shapiro than they would have back in January or February. That’s unfortunate, because the idea behind a government efficiency effort could pay big dividends not only in Pennsylvania but in ...