Mar 24, 2016 2 min read

An article in the Saturday Observer-Reporter concerning the possible merger of Houston with a neighboring borough outlines how the borough would lose its independance, its local fire department and police station and even how the popular Houston Pumpkin Festival would become a thing of the past.

However, it never mentions the fact that Houston will also lose its maintenance/street department.

Losing the street department would mean that when there is snow, Houston would be the last on the list for salting and plowing, as the other borough will get its own streets taken care of first. That could mean a delay in residents getting to school or work on time. It would also mean a delay in road repairs to borough streets and upkeep of Houston’s park.

Another thing to consider would be the required increase in taxes to cover this merger and the increase in school taxes to a different district.

A merger would not only take away Houston’s independence, but it would also put many people out of work who have devoted themselves to the borough for years. This includes my husband, who has been with the maintenance/street department for over 10 years.

Tammy Gorby

Houston