Bridgton Embroiled in Sewer Controversy -- Voting Next Tuesday

(Mike Corthell photo)

The beautiful western Maine town of Bridgton is in turmoil over sewerage and it's treatment. Some believe that a state of the art infrastructure is absolutely necessary for the town's economic health and continued growth, others aren't so sure.

Read on for one Pro and one Con concerning this important vote next Tuesday.

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From the Community of Bridgton Facebook page:

VOTE YES ON 1!

''To the person or persons parading anonymously as bridgton.net-- you need to stop spreading misinformation concerning the sewers. You've made very sure in both your postal mailings, as well as on your website not to give any way to reply to your BS, so I'll do it here, and hope that you see it. I understand you want Bridgton to stay the way it is. That is to say, you want it to stagnate. Won't happen. A community either moves forward, or it moves backward. It will NOT stay "t...he way it is". If you want this town to move forward and grow in a responsible manner, we NEED to do something about the sewer system. This town has already turned away two businesses that wanted to move into the Downtown, because there was no sewer allocation available for them. Voting yes on one, will free up enough allocatioin to atleast allow a few businesses to come to town. But yes, this is just step one. We NEED to expand the sewer system. or your taxes WILL continues to go up and up and up, because there won't be enough of a commercial base to help keep them down! If you want this town to shrivel up and blow away, as it almost did a couple of years ago (remember all the emty store fronts?), then vote no on 1. If however, you want a vibrant community that people will look forward to coming to for years to come, VOTE YES ON 1!!''

-- Bill Vincent

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From Bridgton.net:

VOTE NO ON ORDINANCE #1 ON JUNE 14, 2016!

AS TAX PAYERS, REGISTERED VOTERS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS OF BRIDGTON, WE ARE ALL PRO-GROWTH, BUT ONLY WITH TRANSPARENCY FROM THE TOWN OF BRIDGTON GOVERNMENT ON HOW THIS GROWTH HAPPENS!

THIS NEW SEWER ORDINANCE IS REALLY NOT ABOUT GROWTH OR BRINGING NEW BUSINESSES TO OUR TOWN, OR MORE JOBS IN BRIDGTON.  IT’S ABOUT BONDING/TAXES IN THE FUTURE.

IT’S ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE AUTHORITY OF THE TOWN GOVERNMENT OF BRIDGTON (BY LAW) TO BORROW MONEY AND LATER ON TAKE FROM US ALL IN HOW THE DEBT OF THOSE MILLIONS OF “$DOLLARS” WILL BE REPAID.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TOWN IN NEW ENGLAND BOND FOR MILLIONS OF $DOLLARS$ AND NOT ASKED ITS TAX PAYERS TO PAY IT BACK?  WE HAVEN’T!

TODAY, THE TOWN OF BRIDGTON SEWER SYSTEM IS NOT A “PUBLIC” OR “MUNICIPAL” SEWER SYSTEM SUPPORTED BY THE TAX PAYER’S OF BRIDGTON.  IT IS SUPPORTED AS AND THROUGH AN “ENTERPRISE FUND” THAT USES NO BRIDGTON TAX PAYER DOLLARS.  THIS ENTERPRISE FUND CURRENTLY HAS CLOSE TO 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS IN ITS ACCOUNT.

IF THIS NEW ORDINANCE PASSES AND THE TOWN BONDS FOR MILLIONS OF $DOLLARS$ FOR THE SEWER SYSTEM IN ANY WAY IT MAY VERY WELL BECOME A “PUBLIC/MUNICIPAL” SEWER SYSTEM SUPPORTED BY ALL BRIDGTON TAX PAYERS.  YOU DECIDE! 

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