50 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 344 



State legal implementation of the abandonment of obsolete or non- 

 essential town roads would limit unnecessary road costs arising from the 

 development of remote recreational properties. Under the present sys- 

 tem of basing State aid appropriations on Class Y mileage, towns are re- 

 luctant to reclassify or abandon such roads since the base for State aid 

 payments is thereby reduced. State legislation requiring the automatic 

 abandonment or reclassification of town roads when either use or main- 

 tenance expenditures fall below certain levels would discourage this prac- 

 tice and would check future undesirable settlement. 



Although summer residents pay a large share of the taxes, very few 

 are legal residents and have voice in the administration of local affairs. In 

 some instances exploitation of nonresident property owners has taken 

 place. In general, however, local officials and townspeople have become 

 conscious of their dependence upon summer residents and have made 

 an effort to insure just treatment. A number of procedures have been 

 tried out for introducing nonresident sentiment into town affairs, and 

 they have proved generally successful. Certain towns have included 

 summer residents on local planning boards. Others have followed the 

 practice of canvassing nonresident opinion before undertaking major 

 capital expenditures. Fair consideration and recognition of nonresident 

 appeals from property assessments, even where owners were unable to 

 present such appeals in person during spring months, have improved ad- 

 ministrative relations. The holding of an annual civic improvement 

 meeting during July or August would enable summer residents to par- 

 ticipate in discussion of local affairs, and would give the qualified 

 voters of the town a better understanding of the interests of nonresi- 

 dent property owners in the administration of local government. 



Consideration of nonresident opinion, the willing fulfillment of rea- 

 sonable requests for service by summer residents, and equality of treat- 

 ment with all other groups in the community would be considered ade- 

 quate return for taxes paid by most summer residents. Present assess- 

 ment policies should be revised to conform to a universal policy of pro- 

 perty assessment on the basis of quality, size, location, and extent of im- 

 provement, without regard for ownership. Summer residents and local 

 persons alike would pay higher taxes on more elaborate buildings and 

 furnishings, but all would be treated equitably. 



Reorientation of Attitudes 



Ingrained personal attitudes, habits, and prejudices hinder the ad- 

 justment of rural residents to the opportunities created by recreational 

 development. The statements of both summer and year-round residents 

 reflected some degree of intolerance, irrationality, and lack of under- 

 standing of the motives and habits of the other group. Different cultural 

 backgrounds and values have resulted in different modes of living and 

 habits of behavior, but there is no compelling basis for conflict between 

 the two, and a conscious attempt at mutual understanding would benefit 

 both groups. 



