Mansfield's Water Mains Failing Infrastructure that affects the whole community; and a community driven solution that may fix it

This is concerning, because having inadequate fire hydrants is a health and safety risk in the community, so what can be done about it?

The Mansfield Water Main Initiative is a citizen-led initiative that proposes a 4-year, 0.25% income tax on citizens and workers in Mansfield that would generate 17 - 18 million dollars towards fixing water mains (3). This income tax is proposed by citizens, this means that the city of Mansfield can only use the money from the income tax for the purposes of fixing the water mains, otherwise citizens may sue the city for misappropriation. An important note is that this tax would not affect retired individuals, and only applies to earned income, not investments. There are no federal or state grants that will provide funds to fix this issue, therefore this is the only funding option available.

The issue of Mansfield's fire mains has been on the mind of Eric Miller, Treasurer of the Mansfield Water Main Initiative, since about 2008. What he explained was that while citizen-led efforts were being made at that time to address this issue, the Great Recession of 2008 slowed things down. The reason, he says, for the lack of awareness around this issue is because infrastructure is an issue that is historically neglected; it is an issue that people tend to push down the road further and further, until it cannot be ignored. He adds that, by kicking this issue further down the road, it could be passing its consequences down to our next generation of citizens. According to the American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio, Mansfield has a D+ rating in drinking water infrastructure, due to water mains experiencing water losses greater than 35%, with water line breaks projected to increase in some areas by 36%. The economic affect this has cannot be overstated, because without water many businesses cannot function, and unfortunately a water main is not easy to replace, it requires manpower, special equipment, and time; in short, it takes money, and piecemeal repairs are not cost efficient.

How would this tax impact the average Mansfield household? According to Data USA, the average annual household in Mansfield, Ohio, is $37,000 (4). This means that the average household will pay $92.50 per year to fund this initiative. A small price to pay for such an important issue.

For Mansfield's water main issue to be solved, money must be raised to adequately replace the old infrastructure. I believe this income tax will be beneficial, as it addresses a crucial health and safety risk in the Mansfield community. This initiative will be on the ballot March 19. If you are a resident of Mansfield, or work in Mansfield, I encourage you to express your feelings on the topic by voting this upcoming March.