Seward Statement On Lake Veto

Senator James L. Seward commented on the governor's veto of legislation to authorize a Canadarago Lake District at local referendum:

"The governor's veto is disappointing and represents a fundamental lack of understanding of the purpose of special districts and a complete lack of sympathy for the lakeside residents who have dealt with flooding and siltation over the years and have looked to their state officials for the opportunity to solve their own problems through a locally approved lake district. The governor has clearly sacrificed the well being of individuals, their safety, the environmental health of a lake's ecosystem and the value of property for adherence to a personal view that a district wasn't necessary -- a misunderstanding of town law and the point of special purpose improvement districts.

"Many people have been working with my office on the lake's need for assistance for years, and the likely solution -- a lake district -- came from residents, local officials and the lake association. The senate has passed the necessary legislation to allow residents to contemplate a district in varying forms for three years, and when we finally get it to the governor's desk, we are greeted with a cold veto message.

"I think if my home were flooded and the governor wouldn't even let me vote on whether to create a lake district that only those of us in the district would pay for, I might agree that things changed on day one, and not for the better."

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