At a recent County Commission meeting, Commissioner Gary Wheeler tried to get approval to give the voters the ability to decide if we should move the urban service boundary.

Wesley Davis, Tom Lowther and Art Neuberger voted against it, saying the voters couldn't make an informed decision and that they — the commissioners — did not want to interfere with the various municipalities' right to expand their city limits.

When I asked how, as a concerned county resident, I could be proactive when a city's actions directly affected the county, Mr. Davis said I could get involved with that city's political process. How, when I can't vote in their elections unless I am a resident of that particular city?

Now county staff is telling the commission and residents that it is going to cost lots of tax dollars for the county to subsidize the annexation by Fellsmere. (Fellsmere will receive the additional taxes from increased property values but the county must foot the bill for water and sewer and who knows what other infrastructure.)

Maybe the voters will show that they can make an informed decision and fix this by voting against Lowther next November and Wesley Davis in four years. Luckily for us, Neuberger is not running again.

Meantime, I suggest that all concerned citizens call or e-mail the commissioners and encourage them to vote for giving the voters their choice in this matter. It affects each and every county resident financially.

Jens Tripson
Vero Beach

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