Editor, Smithfield Times

The Aug. 26 letter submitted as “McCarty Has Her Support,” contains a serious error, a claim that county Board of Supervisors candidate Lawrence Pitt said that annexation of Gatling Pointe by Smithfield was “cheaper [for most GP residents] than the new water line.” Mr. Pitt has never expressed any opinion for or against annexation of Gatling Pointe, and he is on record for respecting the wishes of GP residents with respect to annexation. My own analysis, of which Mr. Pitt is aware, done as an academic exercise out of curiosity, shows that about 61 percent of GP residents would come out ahead, taking into account the cost of water and sewer utilities, solid waste disposal, and personal and real property taxes.

County utilities are much more expensive than Smithfield’s, but being annexed adds Smithfield’s real and personal property levies. The break-even point is an assessed property value of about $375,000. Sixty-one percent of the GP residences are at or below that point. This has nothing whatsoever to do with the controversial water line to GP proposed by County staff and adamantly opposed by Mr. Pitt.

Dave Goodridge
Smithfield