Funny how things predicted come out three to six months after the prediction. If everyone remembers back before the elections, there were heated letter to the editor printed in The Era over the sale of the water and the sewer in Mount Jewett Borough. 

And how someone like myself who was running for a council seat predicted the sale of the water and most likely the sewer along with it, the quote that sticks out most is “putting the apple before the cart.” Well, as everyone has seen in the paper now, there is talk of selling the sewer and water and it was quoted how the possibility of rate hikes could occur. 

McGuire stated, “With customer costs so low, selling to a for-profit company might result in increased rates and revenue loss to the borough.”

It is amazing how the borough who is crying broke this year and had to raise taxes 0.5 mills to make budget will allow revenue loss by selling the water and the sewer. 

Now, of course the sales will bring in a bulk revenue and may take care of some of the borough debt. Buy how is it helping the borough people? Will the sale reduce the debt enough to provide a tax discount to the people? Not likely. 

Will the possibility of raised rates helped the people? Most definitely not.

But there are some things it will help, and they are probably the most important at least to one on the council. Steady employment for the water operator who is on council and has his hands in the sewer authority, Brett Morgan. And let’s face it, what would be more attractive for a sale of the water department with debt of, let’s say for arguments sake is around 590K, still have not crunched the numbers since the last report, or dangling the water and sewer as one package?

So I ask you, who is looking out for the people? Who is looking out for who? Lastly how will it really benefit the people of Mount Jewett? 

I know it was quoted with DEP regulations changing it is becoming difficult to operate these entities. The ones running these systems are not qualified to keep up with the changes, and if that is the case they probably should have stepped down from their position and looked for someone who may have had the proper qualifications to deal with the DEP changes.

Losing control of our town’s water and sewer will have a huge impact on the community as a whole and I personally do not see this impact being good for the people. But that is just my opinion and everyone knows I will let those in power know my opinion. 

Francis Auriemmo Jr. 

Mt. Jewett