By Doug Robins
Murray
Regarding a letter to the editor last week stating that the local petitioners worded the ballot in a confusing way.
If James Kimball would have performed a simple task of calling a county supervisor or county auditor’s office he would have found out that the ballot was drawn up by a PAID attorney. Not the county attorney, but one PAID for by the county.
What is the point of paying an attorney when the county attorney (paid county employee) should be able to write a simple ballot for a sales tax election?
This is just another example of the financial incompetence and mismanagement related to the reservoir project.
During the campaign for the sales tax election in 2007, citizens were being told Osceola will be out of water in two years. What will they tell citizens this time to scare them to the polls?
Also, in 2007, citizens were told there would be absolutely no property taxes used to finance the project.
It states, in the most recent reservoir construction budget, that they are relying on county supervisor approval to raise property taxes to help finance construction. This request was made in December 2012. It also states that they may be asked for additional county funds in the future.
Maybe, local leaders should spend more time working on getting out the correct facts on this project instead of slinging mud every chance they get.
Most citizens that support the reservoir don’t realize that recreation will not be allowed on this new reservoir because of Iowa’s eminent domain law. It is documented that Osceola can easily get by with a much smaller and less costly project if a strictly water supply lake is constructed.
On May 7, voters need to decide if they want a huge tax eating project that we will take decades to pay for or a water supply that uses our money in a more responsible way.