The state of Connecticut's purchase of 196.7 acres to add to the existing state forest land in Voluntown is not as great as it sounds. Because the seller couldn't "unload the property in 25 residential subdivisions", it will now add more state forest acreage to Voluntown and more to the backs of Voluntown taxpayers whose taxes pay for the emergency services coverage in the state forest. Roughly 70 percent of Voluntown is state forest and the state's PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) is minimal at best and in effect causes a loss to the town. We have petitioned the state for a more fair PILOT but have been turned down. Perhaps the state should have used that $745,000 to equalize the burden of shortage of tax revenue owed to Voluntown by the state.
Mary Papenfoth, Voluntown