The Island County commissioners want to implement a new county taxing district that will take between $1 million and $2 million out of our pockets each year; all because they claim storm water runoff will contaminate our wells.

We are in a major economic downturn; seniors’ Social Security payments are frozen for the second year, their Medicare payments increasing, and private sector paychecks languish or decrease. Only government employee see their paychecks rise.

Commissioners should demonstrate the environmental emergency that forces them to expand government and increase taxes during the recession by stating which wells are closed permanently by runoff, or if temporarily closed, how many wells, for how long, and what was the problem and the fix. The county should show by DNA testing on at least one well that the contamination was septic system related, not wildlife or household pet or barn.

Until the commissioners show the specific emergency by example they should not raise taxes during a recession. It is a shame elected officials on guaranteed government salary ignore our financial concerns.

David Sherman

Oak Harbor