While I certainly don't have all of the facts on the land use issues between the YMCA and Lewis County, if the reporting was correct regarding Commissioner Sean Swope's questions to the YMCA that seemed to relate to his own personal biases and beliefs, the commissioners have stepped outside the scope of their duties and seem to believe that the residents of Lewis County are not capable of making their own decisions regarding the services and activities they choose to support.
The consuming public will determine the success or failure of services and programs if given the opportunity. If a business is not supported, it will not be successful.
The county now has to use precious time and resources to defend a lawsuit — and the commissioners will have no personal responsibility for the cost of that, or for the loss of what may have been a great addition to the east end of the county.
There certainly may be more to the land use decision than reported, but I do hope the county commissioners will do what they were elected to do with the best interest of our community in mind and not assume that we are not capable of making our own decisions regarding what services and activities we want our families to participate in.
The fact that most people in Lewis County have to drive to neighboring counties for professional services, activities and shopping must mean there are not enough of those opportunities here, and any organization's offer to help address an unmet need should be carefully considered.
Addressing the lack of services and opportunities for the citizens of Lewis County should always be the priority of those with the ability to influence the quality of life for the families they serve.
We all hold our freedoms and ability to live within our own value system dear, but a county commissioner is not being paid (a very nice salary) to impose his or her personal beliefs into county business. The citizens they are paid to serve have their own biases and beliefs and they will not always be aligned. If a county commissioner cannot handle someone disagreeing with them — they are probably not the right fit for the job.
Instead of a "closed to all outsiders" mentality that impedes any progress and growth in our communities, let the public determine the success or failure of new businesses and organizations that have jumped through all of the regulatory processes, done their due diligence, and are ready to move forward.
C.J. Sanders
Centralia
