To the Editor:

As a resident of Winton, I really appreciate everyone’s concern about the devastation that moving the courthouse out of Winton will cause the town.  However, as citizens of Hertford County, you had better be more concerned with the devastation that will result in your bank account with such a move.

Buying property and getting it ready for building, paying for additional wings to be added to accommodate the employees they are planning to move, building parking areas, etc., will raise our taxes a considerable amount, more than most of us can afford.  As senior citizens, many of us are already having to choose between food, fuel and medicine.  Planning on a sales tax hike to cover some of the expense is ludicrous.

Making these kind of foolish plans costing outrageous amounts in a time of recession is just plain mean and arrogant.  We won’t have money to buy anything so from where will the sales tax money come?

Also, where in the world did Johnny Farmer get the idea that Winton commissioners were responsible for spending the county’s money?

We elected the county commissioners to be the fiscal decision makers for us in this county.  It looks like we made a grave mistake that is going to break our backs with this tax load they are planning for us.

I beg you who are currently serving in this capacity to reconsider, put your power struggle to rest, and make the decision that will cost the citizens of Hertford County the least.  Give us a chance to survive the current recession and move forward.  Don’t beat us down when we’re already crippled by our Federal government’s decisions.

I also ask the News-Herald to try to get all the facts and print all the facts so the people in this county know what’s going on.

It would also be a good idea if everyone who could attend would attend every commissioner’s meeting scheduled until this thing is settled once and for all.

Nancy Wall

Winton