Around Town

Putnam County’s New Tourism Director

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To The Editor

Before my retirement one year ago I had the pleasure of working along side Valerie Hickman for 11 years as the Assitant Director of Putnam Visitors Bureau. Never have I seen anyone as dedicated to her job as Ms. Hickman and I learned quite a lot from her. After reading all the press regarding the changes that have taken place at the Visitors Bureau these past few months I had to write to express my amazement at the statements being made by the new Toursim Director and others as reported in articles in your paper and other publicity pieces. Putnam Visitors Bureau has always had a website where one could find info “just a click away”. We have published many brochures, calendars of events, pamphlets, rack cards, etc.

Letter: Haldane Kept Tax Increase Low

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For the fifth straight year, Haldane has managed to keep its tax rate increase below 2 percent. The recently adopted budget by Haldane’s Board of Education will mean that property taxes will only increase an estimated 1.95 percent. It is a spending plan I can support for its creative cost-cutting and sensitive consideration of the needs of our district. To achieve this spending plan the board:
• started work last year on contract discussions and successfully negotiated adjustments to employee benefits;
• realized savings from employee retirements as new hires will sign on at lower salaries;
• used fund balance and some rainy day reserves;
• temporarily eliminated one staff position; and
• refinanced high school debt. These conservative efforts by the Board and Superintendent Villanti can only go so far, however.