Letter to the Editor: Arne Lind will keep your sewer rates affordable
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
To the Editor:
Arne Lind, the incumbent Commissioner for Ronald Wastewater District in Shoreline, has an interesting race in this November’s general election. His opponent, Bob Ransom, is an advocate of liquidating the Ronald Wastewater District into the City of Shoreline.
In contrast, Arne Lind wants to protect the Ronald Wastewater District voters and ratepayers from a utility tax. He wants to preserve ratepayer’s right to vote on whether the City of Shoreline can merge with Ronald Wastewater District. This past year Arne went to Olympia to block the City of Shoreline and its Council’s proposed bill to eliminate each citizen’s right to vote on a takeover of Ronald Wastewater District. Vote for Arne Lind to protect the Ronald wastewater utility from merger without a citizen vote.
I endorse Arne Lind because his vision is the right vision for Ronald Wastewater District not Bob Ransom’s vision. Arne has served the District on the Regional Water Quality Council and Arne has been persistent in his efforts to save the ratepayer’s money. Arne is a major reason Ronald’s local rates have remained the same these last four years for local wastewater collection services at $11.15 per month.
A vote for Arne Lind’s opponent Bob Ransom may lead to the merger of Ronald Wastewater District into the City of Shoreline, if that occurs you can kiss your hard earned money good bye. Ronald’s sewers will go unfixed, citizen’s utility rates will go up, and the local capital improvement fund will be wasted. You will not get transparent financial reports on how the wastewater district is operated if Shoreline runs Ronald. Vote for Arne Lind, Ronald Wastewater Commissioner and protect your right to vote.
Brian T. Carroll
Shoreline
Posts
9 comments:
Funny, in 2002 Mr. Lind was happy to sign the agreement to allow the city to assume the wastewater district and charge utility fees. Now he doesn't like it? What's changed? Were you lying then or are you lying now?
Here is something even funnier @12:31, Bob Ransom's flyer (which arrived at our house yesterday) states that he will unify the City of Shoreline and Point Wells sewer districts, but what is wrong with that statement? Well for one, there is NO Point Wells sewer district.
Ronald Wastewater already serves Point Wells and the City of Shoreline, there is no need to unify the sewer districts.
Another lie in Bob Ransom's flyer - that he worked to keep taxes down when in actual fact he went to the Briarcrest Neighborhood Association and the Shoreline Fire District (any others I am not aware of at this time) to advocate for the City of Shoreline property tax increase in their levy lift campaign a year ago. That is working to increase our taxes, is it not?
Why does the City want to assume the sewer district? Follow the money. If the City owns the sewer district it can set the sewer rate AND CHARGE A UTILITY TAX on top of that. Ask Lynwood tax payers what a swell deal it is to have the City running the sewer utility. You know City Hall won't be able to resist another tax. If you want to pay a lot more for sewer vote for Ransom. Otherwise vote for Lind. Thankfully the City needs a public vote to get into the sewer business and shamefully tried to get the Legislature to remove the public vote requirement this year but failed. Vote for Lind and keep the sewer district independent.
In looking at the agreement he signed in 2002, section 4.8 is titled "Cooperation with Assumption and Dissolution". Seems pretty clear that he can bluster, but he's already approved it.
@12:41 if you want to pay a utility tax and you applaud the City for cynically lobbying the Legislature to deny citizens the right to vote on the City getting into the sewer utility business then it's pretty clear who you are voting for. Sounds like the City and the sewer district mistakenly assumed back in 2002 that no vote is required. Judging by the City's failed attempt to get Olympia to change the statute, The City finally figured out they have to get voter approval before assuming the sewer district. 12:41 (can I call you Bob?), why is the City afraid of a public vote? Kudos to Lind for insisting on the people's right to vote.
Actually, check RCW 35.13A.020. No vote to assume a special purpose required. Arne knows it. Bluster, bluster, bluster.
By the way, the agreement Ronald Wastewater readily signed (see Arne's signature at bottom) is binding.
Don't forget RCW 35.92.070 . . . remember, the one the City asked the Legislature to change so the City could get into the utility business without a public vote. How did that turn out for the City? Bluster? How about answer a couple of questions: (1) Why is the City afraid of letting the people vote? and (2) Why are the pro-assumption folks so excited to have a utility tax?
I thought we were talking Ronald Wastewater. What the heck are you talking about? I think it's a different utility. Can we stay on topic or are you falling for the 32nd democrat smoke & mirrors?
Editor
Thanks for preserving these letter trails - I had completely missed this and there is a lot of important info here if you wish Ronald WasteWater to remain a separate and very successful District. I hope people will take the time to reflect on your sewer bill that is merely pennies - there is NO WAY that the City can do a better job for a better price than what we have. And I don't think they are promising a better price in the first place.... What then is the benefit for the rate-payer????? Thanks, Greg Logan, Shoreline Citizen
Post a Comment