SOMERS — Some Village of Somers residents say they are facing a financial burden over a water main project they never requested — and they want answers.
The Village of Somers unanimously approved a water main extension along 12th Street, running from 100th Avenue to the Post Office, at a total project cost of more than $3.5 million.
To help pay for it, the village is billing property owners along the route based on the size of their lot, at a rate of $107 per frontage foot. The bigger the lot, the bigger the bill.
For retiree Patti Tetzlaff, that means an assessment of nearly $58,000 — more than $71,000 with interest on the 10-year payment plan.
"We have been worried about how we're gonna pay that kind of money," said Tetzlaff. "Either you take a mortgage out or you take out of your 401(k)...one of the neighbors said she would have to sell her home because she wouldn't be able to pay. That's not the way it should be."
Neighbor and fellow retiree Ted Terletzky is facing a smaller but still significant bill of approximately $16,000. He says the burden on retirees along the route is simply unfair.
WATCH: Somers retirees face bills up to $71K for water main, some fear losing their homes
"About 60% to 70% of the homeowners on this street are retirees," Terletzky said. "In my opinion, the village failed us. It's a resounding — they failed us."
Terletzky, who raised his three children in his 12th Street home, said something needs to change.
"I'll pay my fair share , but I don't want to subsidize a developer. This needs to be changed," Terletzky said.
Across all 95 affected parcels, residents will collectively pay more than $1.5 million in special assessments. Connection to the water main is not mandatory — but the bill is.
The Village Administrator told TMJ4 News that the village worked diligently to bring costs down, securing nearly $2 million in tax increment funding that helped reduce the original estimate from $150 per foot to $107 per foot.
Also saying the village is "continuing to prioritize bringing rates down even further," and that final assessment rates will not be set until after construction is complete.
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