Guest opinion:
Where will it stop?

I attended the Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District (TLRSD) meeting July 28. I was the only one there except for an older couple and the Monticello Herald-Journal reporter. I am glad that I did attend, as they were discussing how they are going to stop the conservancy (the conservancy that hasn't even had the first step in the process approved yet….). As I sat there it became clear that they planned to promote confusion and scare tactics on a larger scale under the disguise of concern for the recent actions in the court to establish a conservancy. They said:

1) They have someone in the field getting signatures and values of property among the farmers in Jefferson Township;

2) They have someone in the field getting signatures and values of property among the folks at C&C Beach;

3) They have someone in the field working the rest of the area along the lake; and

4) They are planning a mass mailing to all the folks in Jefferson Township that are within the boundaries of the TLRSD and asking the value of their properties and that they sign their petition to stop the conservancy.

If they can come up with freeholders with 66 2/3 the value of all the property in Jefferson Township opposing the conservancy, they will be able to stop it - if it gets started. Or if they can come up with 51% of the freeholders in Jefferson Township opposed to the conservancy, they will be able to stop it - if it gets started.

I believe that the TLRSD must feel threatened to wage this all-out campaign against something that hasn't even passed the first step of its forming! They expressed confidence that they would be able to stop the conservancy - and they skirted around the declaratory judgment issue!

But their purpose is to CONFUSE THE POPULATION - while they threaten our county officials concerning the Declaratory Judgment!

The real issue at this time is not the conservancy, it is to get the declaratory judgment filed. And that is the issue that the TLRSD is hoping we will confuse with the push that they are making opposing the conservancy.

If we can get the Declaratory Judgment filed, it will allow a court to determine who will have jurisdiction over Jefferson Township - Carroll County or TLRSD! And it is just possible the court will feel Carroll County should have jurisdiction over Carroll County!

I am concerned about the misunderstanding among the citizens, and want you to know that it is all a part of the TLRSD plan! Those tactics have been used before so that the TLRSD can accomplish its objective. And this time, their objective is to have Jefferson Township citizens paying monthly rates for the rest of their natural lives and in most cases, paying monthly rates for something they do not need.

I remember saying it was not going to be easy - and it won't. The request for monetary assistance for filing the Declaratory Judgment will be going before the Carroll County Council. We need to rally behind our elected officials. Our commissioners have taken a bold move and we are trusting that our council will be as concerned as our commissioners are. I made the statement that I know the county is facing money problems. It will be a hard decision for our elected officials to face, but it still stands - either they support the citizens or they bow down to the sewer district. There has to be a way we can work together to regain control of our township.

The Commissioners and the council need to know that we support them; with our presence and with our willingness to dig into our pockets and pledge to help defray the costs of this lawsuit. It is our future, and the future of Carroll County.

Folks, this is not just about TLRSD - but about the freedom to be governed by our elected officials. If we do not step up and gain the right of being governed by our elected officials, we will be doomed to be governed by an entity that does not allow an election - that does not represent our citizens - and if it starts here - where will it stop?

Pat Robertson Jefferson Twp. property

owner