To The Editor, For the past two years the East County Water Control District Board has been working on a plan to construct adequate office and plant control facilities that would provide a safe work place for employees, and storage of district files and equipment. During this process the district expended $309,000 in the pursuit of the new government complex. At the January 8 special meeting of the board the majority of the board voted 3-2 (Horrom, Welch, and Stout) in stopping the project. What needs to be known by the public is that since 2004 the district has spent $400,324.79 on two separate plans to build a new administration building for the district. Currently the district staff occupies two double wide modular trailers. As first responders during a major storm event, the district will be ill prepared to meet the challenges of the day if the district headquarters is destroyed due to the trailers not holding up to the wind that comes during major storms. Since 1998 when the district had to vacate its offices due to poor air quality the district has spent $144,076.60 on rental space and trailers. If you take what the board has approved on office space rentals, and the money that has been spent and thrown away by the majority of the board it comes to $544,401.39 expended. The question I raise is for what? What have you the district ratepayer received in return? There are some on the board who have said when the economy turns around we will revisit the issue again. The board was told by professionals from the construction industry that if we waited two years to do the project it would cost an additional $590,051.55 to complete. Thus spending more money for the same building which if built now would save all taxpayers in the long run. While I am sensitive to the calls from my fellow board members that the community is going through economic hard times the question should be asked how much will it cost you to build the new office complex? The answer is .73 cents a year. That is .73 cents out of an average $22 bill a year. When you compare that to the other local board (fire department) you pay on average over $200 a year to them, which is priceless in the savings over the next 20 years. Ultimately the board has chosen to save now and to spend more later, in the pursuit of perception over reality. As the vice chairman of the district I am to assume the leadership chair at the next scheduled meeting on January 26. In light of the wasteful spending practices of the majority of the district board, I will not accept the position of chairman of the district for the incoming board. I will not be party as leader of a board that has accepted the notion of perception over reality. Desmond Barrett Vice Chairman East County Water Control District Board of Supervisors Lehigh Acres