Commissioner James Booth Talks Sewer Deal With Marietta

MARIETTA, OH — Here is a statement from Washington County Commissioner James Booth concerning the sewer agreement made with the City of Marietta.

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A little over a month ago, Mayor Josh Schlicher, Safety Service Director Steve Wetz, Commissioners Kevin Ritter, Charlie Schilling, and I came to an agreement to end the lawsuit over the Devola Sewer. That achievement, reached by local government officials working on behalf of the citizens, has set a positive tone for Washington County residents. Like any negotiation, however, neither party got ALL they wanted. Both sides had to give on certain issues in order to come to an understanding.

Now it’s up to Marietta City Council to ratify that deal. In my view, there is no reason to spend more city taxpayer funds on an outside attorney with a reasonable agreement, one that benefits both parties, in place. I hope that Marietta City Council will vote to ratify this agreement soon. A positive resolution to this long-time disagreement would be positive for both sides and it would allow the nearly 60,000 citizens of Washington County to finally move forward.

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