**This letter to the editor was submitted by a group of Mount Pleasant residents who live on Highway V.

You may have read about Caledonia’s water/sewer project that will cost 65 Mount Pleasant residents nearly $2 million in assessments for water and sewer service which was not part of the original contract between the two villages.

You may have followed our objections in the news and heard some village leaders and candidates for trustee say our concerns are selfish. Our disagreement is not about new development.

This is an issue of fairness and respect.

In August of 2014, five Mount Pleasant trustees deliberated in closed session and voted to fundamentally change the 2008 inter-municipal contract. This amendment:

● Forgave $1.4 million in interest payments owed by Caledonia to Mount Pleasant in exchange for a lump sum of $150,000.

● Changed the type sewer from a closed system to a more expensive gravity system.

● Capped the cost for Caledonia at $2 million.

● Placed the additional cost on Mount Pleasant residents by assigning property assessments.

● These assessments will cost residents on Hwy V tens of thousands of dollars in the form of liens which will be payable in full if we sell our houses or divide our property.

● Many of these assessments represent 20 to 42% of the entire value of our homes and additional thousands of dollars will be owed if we decide to hook up to the sewer and water service.

We spent 14 months attempting to talk to trustees in Mount Pleasant. We attended every board meeting.

The Village of Mount Pleasant has never considered other methods of funding this project and they have kept all their discussions a secret in closed sessions. The very people their decisions impacted the most were purposely kept in the dark.

When trustees did speak, they called us liars and impolite. They mocked our distress and concerns.

We believe we can do better in Mount Pleasant.

We can put an end to the indifference and arrogance certain trustees have shown us. It is only a matter of time before it is you if we do not make a change on election day.

No more “golden parachutes” for village employees who are fired. No more shell games with emergency response times. No more closed sessions that hide dealings that should be done in public.

On April 5th, we are supporting Ken Otwaska, Gary Feest and Jon Hansen for Mount Pleasant trustees. We are supporting Dale Steger for Racine County Board in District 14 and we will “write-in” John Martini for Racine County Board in District 13 against Mark Gleason, the man responsible for the amendment which has caused so much dissension in our community.

As your friends, neighbors and family in Mount Pleasant, we believe these candidates will restore transparency, integrity and respect to our village.