Let’s be clear, clean water is on the ballot this year!

Our colleagues over at the Pine Barrens Society laid it out well in their recent email:

“This upcoming election is important for a lot of reasons.  When you receive your ballot, you’ll choose your names on the front side (you’re on your own with that). However, it is extremely important that you flip your ballot over and check out the propositions on the back.

If you live and vote in Suffolk County, you’ll have two or three propositions on your ballot, depending on what Town you live on.  Pay careful attention to Proposal No. 2 (Resolution 547-2020).  Suffolk County Politicians are trying to raid your Drinking Water Protection Program again.

Suffolk County has carefully worded the proposition in a way that makes no sense, so that you know what they’re actually up to. But make no mistake, they are asking for your permission to raid a fund of your tax dollars that you have already designated for water protection.

Here’s the language you’ll see on the ballot:

PROPOSAL TWO, A PROPOSITION

Resolution No. 547-2020, “A Charter Law to Transfer Excess Funds in the Sewer Assessment Stabilization Reserve Fund to the Suffolk County Taxpayer Trust Fund and to Eliminate the Requirement that Interfund Transfers Be Made from the General Fund to the Sewer Assessment Stabilization Fund”

Shall Resolution No. 547-2020 be approved?

( ) Yes     ( ) No

Here’s the deal:

A Vote AGAINST Suffolk County Prop #2 (NO Vote) –

  • Would enforce a court ruling that requires the repayment of tens of millions of dollars illegally raided from the Drinking Water Protection Program Fund
  • Would ensure the availability of money to protect residents’ drinking water
  • Would maintain enough money in the tax stabilization fund to assist taxpayers in existing and new sewer districts

The Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program (DWPP) was created by voters in 1987 by an 87% majority and has been extended several times since. It uses a ¼-percent in sales tax to fund important water quality improvement initiatives, the preservation of open space, and control taxes for those in sewer districts.

Unfortunately, Long Island has the most contaminated water in the state.  It also has some of the highest concentrations of nitrogen in our groundwater in the country.  This is a public health crisis, that we cannot ignore.  We cannot afford to raid the Drinking Water Protection Program.

So, join us, alongside countless other environmental and civic organizations to VOTE NO on PROP 2.  To learn more, please visit www.pinebarrens.org/voteforcleanwater.

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