I am writing in response to an article that was published Feb. 4 in the Sun Journal’s River Valley edition. The article was headlined, “Democrats Hear National Rep.”

One paragraph referred to “the partisan approach taken by the majority of Republicans from Oxford County, in refusing to take the first step to tax relief, in contrast to other members of their party who chose to work in a bipartisan manner in crafting and supporting the measure.”

On the same day on the preceding page was an article, “Rumford expects higher costs for education.” In fact, the costs would be $500,000 higher, with Roxbury’s and Byron’s also higher. In the Feb. 7 Sun Journal, the SAD 39 superintendent indicated that Buckfield, Sumner and Hartford’s costs were increasing in the $500,000 range due to lack of state support.

The Oxford County Republicans were not partisan, but rather doing their job representing the taxpayers of Oxford County. What has happened here is that cities such as Lewiston and Portland are receiving millions more of state aid, and rural areas, such as those in western Maine, are receiving less. There is no property tax relief for us in rural Maine, rather a shift from our schools to the city schools.

When homeowners get their property tax bills later in the year, they will know what I am writing about.

Republican representatives were doing their job, looking out for their constituents’ interests.

Norm Ferguson, Hanover

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