Sewer project a step forward for community

THE ISSUE:
Sewer system
expansion.

OUR OPINION:
Good decision
by county, city.

When Citrus County was developed during the boom years of the 1970s through the 1980s, one of the most attractive attributes was that this was an inexpensive place to build a new home.
 

One of the key reasons it was inexpensive is that we did not pay all that much attention to putting the proper infrastructure in place.
 

Today, we are collectively paying for that lack of planning.
 

Recently, the members of the county commission listened to complaints from residents who live just outside the Crystal River city boundaries, because some did not want to pay for the expansion of sewer services to their homes.
 

Many homes built west of U.S. 19 in Citrus County were originally fitted with septic tanks. These aging septic tanks are now part of the pollution problem we have created in the delicate ecosystem along our coast.
 

The county commission and city of Crystal River have worked together — using a very generous state grant — to expand sewer services to communities outside of the city limits.
The criticism from citizens is unfounded. While none of us like to pay more money —
especially during these tough economic times — the city and county have put together an incredibly generous package of grants that have defrayed up to 85 percent of the sewer line assessment. Homeowners have the opportunity to spread the remaining costs over a period of 10 years so it is not a huge financial drain.
 

Septic tanks were the inexpensive way for the county and city to permit growth to take place. But our community can no longer afford the high costs of pollution caused by the inefficient old systems.
 

Instead of criticism, our elected officials deserve praise for moving forward on the sewer expansion. The easiest thing for politicians to do with pollution problems is to just kick the can down the road and let the next group deal with it. Instead, our leaders stepped up to the plate and despite the inevitable criticism they moved ahead with the project.
 

To the individual homeowners, a sewer system increases the value of property. The cleaning up of pollution sources along the coast will also have a positive impact on property values and the county’s economy as a whole.
 

This was a good step forward.