I am a candidate for the first citizen-elected mayor of Bend in 90 years.

I believe that voters want a fresh face and to hear a vision for the next 25 to 50 years for our city.

I attended the first and second council-sponsored “listening sessions” on the southeast sewer interceptor project. A number of citizens expressed their understanding that this second session was opposed by a number of the council members. Where was Mayor Casey Roats and Councilors Barb Campbell and Nathan Boddie?

Mayor Pro Tem Sally Russell, after introducing the ground rules for the evening, opened the floor. The conversation got hot and heavy very quickly. Residents demanded real answers — not a great time to be pro tem mayor, aspiring to be elected mayor in November.

Resident after resident came forward to tell how a $25,000 per lot assessment, a $250 monthly payment and, on top of that, a monthly utility fee of $72 would destroy their family budget and force them out of their homes.

Some asked why, 20 years ago when the city came to talk about annexation, a fund was not established to begin saving money for the sewers, and, oh, where are the streets, sidewalks, curb ramps and street lights that they were promised?

Many citizens stated that their systems were in good shape due to the diligent maintenance of their systems over the years. Mike Dugan asked why the original promise to those properties along the interceptor line had changed? They had been told that they would not have to pay connection fees by city staff. He held a business card out from an individual staffer that he collected while standing in the middle of Orion Drive directly in front of his home.

This, coming from the former Deschutes County district attorney, carried great weight. Some residents stated that they repaired their systems as many as six times, per advice from county engineers who insisted their remedies would solve their septic problem.

Some stated that their Realtor never told them of the pending sewer project prior to purchasing their property. Is there not a law against this type of negligence by Realtors and builders, and can they not be held accountable?

The reason all of the “chickens now are coming home to roost” is because as Mike Hollern of Brooks Resources has said, there was a “lack of vision, planning and leadership” over the past 20 to 30 years. Boy, was he right!

Some 2,800 homes in Bend need to make this conversion, all across the city. The city should admit that they made a mistake by not putting funds aside in a “lock box” over the past 20 to 30 years to cover these upcoming infrastructure costs they knew were coming sooner rather than later. Again, no vision, planning or leadership.

The best and most fair solution is a citywide assessment and multiply the percentage times the actual assessed tax value of all commercial and residential property located in the city of Bend. This would eliminate the need for the $25,000 assessment per lot and the need to increase the monthly utility fee. Speakers reminded us that all residents pay a groundwater fee and not all of us have a groundwater problem.

The City Council was directly responsible for its mistakes, and a small number of citizens should not have to bear the burden of paying for the council’s poor judgment.

This is a public health and environmental threat. E. coli does not respect geographical boundaries or economic status. There is still time for reasonable minds to prevail without the filing of a class-action lawsuit that is being researched by residents.

When I am elected mayor on Nov. 6, the very next morning as mayor-elect, I will ask the council to hold on these proposed assessments until such time as the new council can act.

— Brian Douglass is a candidate for mayor of Bend.