Dear Editor,

In the legal section of The Luverne Journal, there are four new bills to be presented in the State Legislature this session that greatly affect only Crenshaw County voters. These bills will increase the cost to the taxpayer for services they already receive.

Of the four, the only one to appear on a ballot for voter approval is the increase on the water bill for E-911 services. Why only one? The other three will become law without residents even having a say.

Some fee increases will be of significant costs for services you must have and can only get at the courthouse.

We are in no way suggesting these are bad or good bills, but we are saying this is not the method to implement them. The voter should know the TOTAL cost and have an opportunity to decide if he or she wants to pay for it rather than it being implemented without their approval. One of the bills removes control of general fund expenditures from the County Commission (second bill-section 7). This is not only scary but also dangerous.

We plead with everyone to read the lengthy jargon and draw your own conclusion. If you feel as we do, please call your commissioner and request the bills to be withdrawn, re-evaluated, and add a section that requires them to be placed on a ballot, as is the other one.

By the time you read this, the bills will have appeared three of the four times needed in the newspaper, so this issue is of the utmost importance if it is to be changed.

We plan to present this request to the County Commission at their next meeting held April 9 at 9 a.m. in the courthouse. The meeting is during normal working hours, and some may not be able to attend, but we encourage you to be there if you can, and if not, then call your commissioner.

This letter is written not only on my behalf, but also for others who support these views and who have requested I do so.

Should you have any comments, please call me.

John Brunson

Luverne, Ala.

335-2339