I urge Rockport voters to vote No On Article 3, which would otherwise allow the Town to build a $52 million wastewater plant, and to vote Yes On Article 15, which appoints a task force to study the alternatives.

It’s important to note that the financial burden of a $52 million water treatment plant will fall solely on sewer users, and those who could be sewer users will all pay the same. This means less than half of the Town's population will be responsible for a debt of $52 million, including interest, over the next 30 years. This is a significant financial strain that we should all be concerned about.

One of my key concerns, which you should share, is the uncertainty surrounding our future sewer bills. With the proposed plant not expected to come online until 2028, it's crucial that we take the time to understand the full potential financial impact.

The best and most reasonable solution is to resume talks with Camden, which has previously managed our wastewater. We are sharing Schools, Police, Transfer Station, and Assessing with great success. We have had a 30-year agreement that worked, but the arrangement fell apart because of missteps. Our leaders must get back together with Camden and save us from building this $52 million water treatment plant.

Bill Leone lives in Rockport