Water and Sewer Issues
CCRG opposed the ability of the non-elected board (only County Board of Commissioner's Chair Buzz Ahrens is elected) of Cherokee County Water & Sewage Authority (CCWSA) to use public money to increase development options for large landowners.
Bonds issued to fund expansion of water and sewage services are paid back by increaseing fees to customers. We are concerned that CCWSA may lack sufficient oversight to ensure that the costs of their expansion decisions do not become financially burdensome to Cherokee users.
The CCWSA Board of Directors consists of two members appointed by the Grand Jury and two members appointed by Superior County Judges. By law, Chairman of the Board of Commissioner's establishes the fifth member of the board.
The original idea was to keep the Authority free of political constraints. However, as the Authority is not accountable to the Cherokee electorate, we are concerned about their vulnerability to lobbying by special interests.
As part of the mission of CCRG to promote responsible growth, we will continue to explore the relationship between unbridled growth and CCWSA decisions.