Lake Politics Part II: Madison-Brant Water Project District Election July 18

Anyone who lives by the lake knows that if you don't stir things up, you end up with stinky green algae scum. In political affairs, this message seems lost on Lake Herman residents, who appear determined to let the Lake Herman Sanitary District continue as a practically unelected body.

Not so over in the Madison-Round-Brant aquaplex. They already have a couple sanitary districts, development associations, and road and fire districts. As if all that (and fishing and jet-skiing) doesn't keep folks busy enough, on July 18, residents of those lakes will vote on whether they want to create the Interlakes Water Project District. It won't be a normal election where the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.: instead, they have a meeting at 10 a.m. on that Saturday at the Hillside Resort parking lot. (If you can't make it, you can stop by the Lake County courthouse to vote absentee.)

Supporters of the new district have posted a description of the environmental projects the district could tackle, plus some Q&A. They're also hosting four informational meetings the week after July 4 so folks have an idea of what they're voting on.

Opponents are mounting their own campaign to prevent the creation of yet another taxing entity around the eastern lakes of Lake County. They have a website (full disclosure: district opponents have paid me to create and maintain that website and advertise it here on the Madville Times) listing reasons to reject the water project district and recommendations for action that can be carried out with existing means to protect water quality on the lakes.

So while the Tea Partiers get ready to wreck a perfectly good July 4 with more mugging for the cameras and absurd cries of socialism, our neighbors at Lakes Madison and Brant conduct some practical, civil, local democracy.