Let voters decide on Mt. Jewett water issue
October 30, 2010
Why not hold a permissive referendum next spring and let the voters chime in on the Mt. Jewett water controversy?
As we've reported, the Mt. Jewett Borough Council is considering action to abolish the local volunteer water authority, which oversees the borough water operation.
The borough council has also discussed plans to sell the water system to a private company.
If a private company takes over, local control over the water operation would be lost. Rates would be subject to approval by the Public Utility Commission.
If a local referendum is scheduled as part of the May primary, there would be plenty of time to schedule community meetings to outline the pros and cons of continued public ownership of the water system and the sale to a private company.
More information from both sides should be welcomed to shed light on what has become a very divisive issue in Mt. Jewett. Who could be against a community meeting on the issue at hand and a voter referendum?
Ted Lutz
Reporter
Kane Republican
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Comments
Mt.Jewett Water
November 6, 2010 by birddog (not verified), 2 years 28 weeks ago
Comment: 39
I dissagree with a referendum vote. We live in a democracy where the people elect officials to represent them. If you don't like what the officials are doing then vote them out. I'm not opposed to public meetings and public input, but the final say goes to the Borough Council.
The water authority turns it around and tries to make it into a personal issue everytime it comes up. But when you scratch the surface and dig a little deeper, you soon realize what the Borough Council sees. For the last 10 + years the Authority has lost over 50% of the water that they have pumped due to leaking pipes. This figure comes from the Annual Water Supply Reports that the Authority submits to PA DEP every year. These reports are public record and can be obtained from either the MJBA or PA DEP. Please, don't take my word - look it for yourself. What kind of people can pump millions of gallons of treated water into the ground and then raise your rates? I would think that replacing these old leaking pipes would be a little higher on my priority list that buying old buildings for a office space. And what about them spending a quarter of a million dollars on a 50 year old water tank that is at the end of it's useful life? That's at least twice as much as it should have cost! WHY wouldn't you put that money toward a new tank ? It's completely out of control and something must be done - soon.