In the town of Wilson in Niagara County, a 5 percent tax hike is all that was needed for residents to take action.

After the village implemented a 39-cent tax increase to $8.11 per thousand of assessed valuation, some 180 residents signed a petition calling for the village to be dissolved. Because 180 is more than 10 percent of the village population, state law says a referendum has to happen.

Five percent was all it took there. Here, in Chautauqua County, a village proposed a 445 percent tax hike and then conned Chautauqua County lawmakers into a loan of $150,000 to decrease the tax hike to only 112 percent.

In Wilson, that outrageous tax hike would have meant a mutiny. In Chautauqua County, however, we celebrate that the village of Forestville tax hike WAS ONLY 112 PERCENT.

And the county residents wonder why business won’t come here. Our attitude of being comfortable with what we have is becoming quite disturbing, especially to those who do not live or do business here.