There is even more confusion in our city now that we have three newly elected council members and one appointed voting to put a change of government on the November ballot.

These newly elected and appointed members came onto the council wanting to stop the growth in the city. This mayor and former councils spent years trying to find a solution that would allow the city to replace its aging water lines, most of which are the asbestos cement type.

There are approximately 800 water customers in original Black Diamond and we have a water bill due to the city of Tacoma for over $2 million and miles of this old and undersized pipe to replace that will cost millions more.

Every council and mayor prior to this council have concluded that the only way to pay these millions of dollars is to add many more users that will pay not only for water but also pay an initial hookup fee of $5,900.00 each.

The residents around Lake Sawyer (which was annexed into the city in 1998) are in the Covington Water District which has about 20,000 users to pay for their pipe and services. All the residents of our original city that get a city of Black Diamond water bill need equal treatment to spread out the cost over perhaps 4,000 users over the next 30 years.

The city also needs a new fire station in the original part of town because everyone who lives east of the Lake Sawyer Road and Auburn Black Diamond intersection has fire protection service that is rated inadequate by the fire chief and because the call response time is greater than six minutes which makes the survival rate near zero for heart attack and other life threatening injuries.

This current council cancelled an agreement (for a Community Facilities District), that the mayor and previous council approved, that would have given the residents of the original city the same fire protection that the residents around Lake Sawyer get.

Again, all we want is equal treatment.

The residents of Lake Sawyer do not pay a utility tax to the city on their water and sewer bills. Only the residents that get a city of Black Diamond water and sewer bill pay this tax. Those funds go directly to pay for city services for all.

How fair is that…that only half the city pays this tax for services that everyone gets?

The argument that the residents on Lake Sawyer pay more in taxes because their properties are worth more is a hollow complaint. They pay taxes based on the evaluation of their property which is what we all do. However, they receive city services that are only being paid for by the old town water users.

Again, all we want is equal treatment.

Please vote no for the change of government because the only person on the side of the original Black Diamond residents is the mayor.

Mario Sorci,

Black Diamond