Why are People Leaving?

Between 2010 and 2022 the population of the USA grew by 7.7% while the population of NY State grew by 1.4%. Here in the North Country, however, we have seen a net decline: the population of St Lawrence County dropped 3.7%, from 111,821 in 2010 to 107,733 in 2022.  Ominously, the population within the village of Potsdam dropped much more: the village hosted 9,428 residents in 2010 and 8,312 in 2022, a drop of nearly 12%.  The population of neighboring Canton Village meanwhile grew by over 13% during those same years! What is the story?  Is there a reason people preferentially settle in Canton over Potsdam?

In 2010, the village tax rate in Potsdam was $14.99 per thousand dollars in property value. By 2022 that tax rate had increased by $3.30, to $18.29 per thousand dollars in property value, a whopping 22% increase! What happened in the village of Canton? Their 2010 village tax rate of $10.48 per thousand dollars increased by two cents over the same period, to $10.50 per thousand dollars, a mere 0.2% increase.  To put this in context, the 2022 village tax rate of Potsdam was the 8th highest out of 529 villages in NYS, while the average NYS village tax rate was $6.65 per thousand dollars.

Potsdam is a very nice village to live in, but we all must gauge how best to invest and allocate our earnings.  Given that the population of Potsdam is shrinking relative to Canton, people are making their preferences known. 

During my two+ years on the board, I have heard no discussion on why our tax rates are unusually high nor any discussion on how to lower the rates to make this village competitive with our neighboring towns and villages.  Will this year be different?