Lame ducks

I do not understand why Mr. (Shaun) Kenney and Mr. (Joe) Chesser are voting to bind our county to an enormously expensive proposal (at least $20 million), and a 20 year commitment with Aqua when they have already declared they are not seeking to continue to represent our county on the Board of Supervisors. And, those of us who live in the Rivanna district know well how poorly Aqua has performed and our ever-increasing water bills.
Passing legislation with a questionable provider, and with such an enormous impact on Fluvanna County, by persons who will no longer be on the Board in a short time (a.k.a.,‘lame ducks’), and with so little time remaining to their tenures (their positions expire at the end of this year), is decidedly undemocratic.
Our system of government abhors such unbridled exercise of governmental power.
The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution often referred to as the “Lame Duck” Amendment moved the end of a congressman’s term from March 4 to Jan. 3. This eliminated the otherwise lengthy “lame duck” session of Congress wherein lawmakers, including those who lost their reelection in November or were retiring, could pass legislation. This “lame duck” period was considered an error to the original Constitution as it seemed common-sense that no important laws would be passed by government officials, who, at the very least, had no fresh mandate from the citizens at the end of their tenure. This amendment is the only amendment ever ratified by all the states.
We have an election Nov. 5 of this year. Voters in the Rivanna District have a choice between Mr. (Tony) O’Brien and me. While I fully support enlisting businesses in Fluvanna, I need to have better information concerning the amount of water needed beyond a report that concludes with a vacillating guess. However, I do know that the Aqua option is a bad deal for Fluvanna; unnecessarily expensive and overkill for the realistic level and type of economic development in the Zion area.
Accordingly, I ask the lame duck members, Mr. Kenney and Mr. Chesser, to respect our representative form of government and to abstain from voting on the Aqua plan. Let the citizens decide by their vote on Nov. 5. That’s the American way.