Actions speak louder than words. As our county grows, infrastructure needs are going to increase and County Commissioners will have to make choices of where to put additional services, and how to obtain the property to do so.

The Town of Plains, under Mayor Dan Rowan, forced us to sell 10 acres of our property via eminent domain. We didn’t want a sewage lagoon on our property that we already had plans for, but realizing the need, and the immense power of the government, we offered to negotiate to arrive at a fair and equitable outcome. The last thing we wanted was a multi-year lawsuit. We just wanted to be paid a fair price for our land.

Over a quarter of a million dollars in legal fees paid by the Town of Plains; intimidation and threats trying to devalue our land and bully their way to an agreement; and still the Town of Plains has more than a dozen obligations left to fulfill, all under Dan Rowan’s leadership.

When asked about the on-going legal dispute and our efforts to protect our personal property, Dan Rowan accused us of a “childish public relations campaign” (direct quote in the Sanders County Ledger). This shouldn’t add up to “proven common sense leadership” to anyone who values personal property rights.

We urge you to think carefully about who you want in a County Commissioner seat. Make sure the actions of the man actually align with the slick campaign slogan.

Sincerely,

Nick and Erika Lawyer,

Plains