Letters

We moved to Ocean Ridge (twice) for several reasons: the unique character of the town compared to other barrier island communities, the small-town atmosphere and, most importantly, the availability of a local police and (in the past) fire/rescue force.  
    Transferring police protection to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is not what we want to see happen. The PBSO is a fine organization, already tasked with covering the largest geographic area of any county in Florida, and fighting serious crimes throughout the county. 
    In Ocean Ridge, we have a very low crime rate, almost entirely nonviolent. 
We benefit from officers doing mundane things like dark-house checks, traffic patrols, high-visibility patrols in our limited area and enforcement of solicitation laws that help protect our elderly citizens.
    Regardless of commitments made in the PBSO offer, over time the ability to do these will abate as the PBSO is asked by the county to do more with less. Their mission will force them to prioritize more serious crimes over our mundane duties.
    We realize no one likes to pay more taxes, but our Town Council was elected to do the right thing for the residents of Ocean Ridge, not just to save money. If the budget doesn’t balance, and there are no areas that can be trimmed, then explain this to the residents and ask for their support in raising taxes. 
If the cause is good, we believe the residents will respond positively. This cause is good.
    We can’t get something for nothing. We should be willing to pay for things we need; and we need to appreciate the services we have.  There is no place quite like Ocean Ridge; let’s keep it “small” and “local.”
Jim & Nancy Dunn
Ocean Ridge