Salt Springs petition process criticized

TOWN OF MANLIUS – The petition process for the proposed Salt Springs Road water district is well underway, but some residents of the area are suggesting that the process is biased towards passage.
There are four official petition books. Two of the books are located at town hall, one is at ClearPath for Veterans, which has been supportive of the project, and the other is with Marlene Denney, a resident of the area who has also been a vocal supporter.
Last week, Joe Messineo, who has voiced strong opposition to the project, questioned whether it was legal for the town to have two of the petition books passed by supporters of the project.
“Why would you look to taint the process when you know it’s a hotly contested issue,” Messineo said. “I don’t believe it’s keeping with the intent of New York State town law.”
In order to form the district, residents representing 51 percent of the assessed value in the district must sign the petition.
The projected cost of the water project is $9.2 million, much of which would be funded by state and federal grants. However individual property owners would be responsible for the one-time cost to hook into the system. For some property owners with large setbacks, that cost could be tens of the thousands of dollars.
The petition process will continue through the month of June. Councilor Sara Bollinger said they would get a ruling on whether it was legal to have supporters pass the petitions.