Reasons to Vote No July 18th

Everyone within the proposed boundaries of the Interlakes Water Project District appreciates clean water. That has never been an issue with anyone who opposes the creation of this District. However, there are several reasons we plan to vote No on the proposed District:

1. There is no need for another layer of government. We can currently address water quality issues through the SD Department of Environment & Natural Resources, the Board of Water & Natural Resources, East Dakota Water Development District, and Lake County government. We do not believe creating another layer of government will make things better.
   
2. Increasing taxes is an unaffordable burden for many residents of the proposed District. This new District will have the ability to tax up to $1.00 per thousand of valuation. The District can also initiate special assessments. Earlier this year, Lake County raised the valuations of Lake Properties by 15%. When does it stop?
3. A recent survey reveals that only 30% of the property owners will be authorized to vote in this election. The other 70% will have no voting privileges.
4. The boundaries of the proposed District need to be expanded for this Water District to be successful.
5. We currently pay taxes to the East Dakota Water Development District. We even pay additional taxes under the opt-out provisions to East Dakota. It makes more sense to work through the agency we are already paying for than to create an entirely new and redundant agency.
6. The current planning committee has mentioned on several occasions that we will not witness success in our lifetimes. Additional taxes and assessments will not produce visible results in our lifetimes.
7. A Game Fish and Parks expert has mentioned that altering the water quality could encourage aquatic plant life to flourish.

Recommendations for the Future

We are in favor of protecting and improving water quality on Lake Madison and Brant Lake. We just think creating a new taxing entity for that purpose is unnecesssary. There are a number of things we can do right now to pursue water quality goals without creating an entirely new level of local government:

1. Continue with the Interlakes Water Quality Committee and attempt to expand the committee with more involvement from various sources and individuals.
2. Continue the water quality monitoring that is currently taking place. Establish a 5-year baseline, which can target problem areas and influence decision-making.
3. Continue the relationship with DSU for these testing programs and share the information with East Dakota Water Development District.
4. Work with the Lake Associations, the GF&P, and commercial fishermen to establish a current and long-range plan for carp management.
5. Work to target “problem areas” and pass this information to existing agencies for action.
6. Continue funding through voluntary donations from the various associations, governmental agencies, and private individuals.
7. Continue with the Zero Phosphorus campaign and other educational programs that can be publicized in the “Lakes News.”