As a resident of the Pioneer section of Clark County for the past 30 years, I feel entitled to speak for many rural residents. We have fortunately avoided annexation by the ever expanding city of Ridgefield, yet are subject to the consequences of its unbridled growth. Our traffic increases and road surfaces decline. School districts increase bonds and levies to fill seats for those who presently do not live in the district. Fire departments seek increased levies, with increased response times. We’ve seen dramatic changes in 30 years, basically a decreasing quality of life in the rural area.
The area has grown haphazardly, without some master plan. Many folks made a lot of money, while the rest of us dealt with the costs and burdens. When I arrived, the Milky Way was visible on clear nights. Now, that is not the case. One can barely see the most prominent stars due to background light pollution. It’s bad enough our landscape has deteriorated; can we allow unchecked growth to take even the night sky away from us?
I do not like this new reality. I want to take a deep breath before continuing on this path. On Nov. 3, North Clark County (District 4) has an opportunity to slow rampant growth. Matt Little, an independent, is running on a rural land use platform. He is a longtime resident, fiscally conservative and will maintain the rural character some of us cherish. He owes no support to any political party or the development blitz. He has a history of land use planning in his background, and is not beholding to the pro growth establishment.
Ask yourself, do you like the way North Clark County is trending. Is your quality of life better? Are you getting value from your property taxes, or are you just paying more? Do you like this new direction?
This election day, we have an opportunity to begin changing our future both nationally and locally.
I hope you will join me in voting Matt Little for a better tomorrow.
