Westminster Recall was about more than water

As a member of the Defend Westminster group, I take exception to the allegation that our group made this recall into a partisan endeavor.

I submit that the Water Warriors, in hiring Scott Gessler and selecting Kathleen Dodaro as their candidate, made this recall partisan. Scott Gessler is a well-known Republican lawyer in the recall world, and Kathleen Dodaro is a House District 35 Republican party official.

The Water Warriors may have started out genuinely as a non-partisan group with a concern about water rates, even though the recall was not a solution to the issue. However, the discussions on Next Door and on the Water Warriors Facebook page were clearly about more than that. There were concerns about salaries of Westminster employees, concerns about the process that Jon Voelz was appointed under - which is the official vacancy process for the city - concerns about the kind of development in Westminster, etc.

Having attempted with no luck to discuss why water rates were high and the need for new infrastructure in the city, as well as climate change and drought, it became apparent to me that something more than water rates was at play.

We have different visions for the future of the city of Westminster. I will continue to support those candidates that work for clean and safe water for drinking and recreation and a sustainable city with affordable housing so that my children and grandchildren can afford to live here.

Carol Campbell,

Westminster