What is surprising to some is the overall opposition to the construction project since only a few years ago another survey indicated a 2-1 majority supported the installation of sewers at Slate Hill Farm. However, the explanation of the change in position is understood when all the facts are known. The original survey question simply asked if the residents wanted sewer installed, leaving the impression that the Town, as a whole, would pay for the construction. The recent survey question included a financial note explaining that each resident would be charge per front footage for both sewer and water line construction amounting to $15,000-$20,000 per resident to be paid over a twenty year period. The shock of the "sticker price" for the construction obviously caused a reversal on the part of many residents.
In years past only sewer installation was passed on to the residents to reimburse the Town; however, as of June 2003 the Town Council has mandated that water installation would similarly be assessed to each resident. Additionally, the Town Council has decided that every major road reconstruction project in the Town will have drainage, sewer, and water installed simultaneously. Slate Hill Farm residents object to these large assessments and declared by a 2-1 majority that they do not want to pay.
