Like the majority of Teton Valley residents, I've tried to stay out of the controversy over the Victor sewer fight and the future of wastewater treatment in our valley, mostly because I'm not all that interested in digging deeply enough into the issue to understand all the facts. Why? Because I trust the men and women we've elected to lead us, particularly Victor's Mayor Will Frolich, City Councilors Stacey Hulsing, Sue Muncaster, and Emily Sustick, as well as our dedicated city staff. I trust they share my values of environmental stewardship and responsible growth. I trust they are trying to do what is right. But the vitriol has gotten so ugly, I feel compelled to weigh in and voice my support for the City of Victor.

I spent eight years on Victor's city council and know that it's a thankless job. No one opts to join small-town government for power, glory or money. Too many people get mad at you. Too many people say things that are inaccurate, incomplete or false. Too many people think you are out for personal enrichment. That is just not the case. The people who choose to take part in local government opt to withstand these attacks for one reason: They want to serve their community.

The sewer issue is complex. It's also poorly understood by most of us, but I don't think it's poorly understood by Victor's elected officials and staff. They have been working on the issue for a long time. It was a discussion topic even when I was on council more than six years ago. We knew the sewer in Driggs was failing then, and we knew we faced significant financial penalties if it wasn't fixed. We knew Driggs was a challenging partner to work with. These problems have only increased in urgency since I left office.