After reading Colin McKenzie’s letter (Oct. 28), we feel a reply is necessary.

Mr. McKenzie stated MoWASA paid Vass $1,135,000 for its water and sewer system. The town’s audited financial statements for June 30, 1993, and June 30, 1994, show the town received a total of $98,692 from MoWASA in exchange for transferring its water and sewer assets to them.

That money paid off the debt on the system of $25,500, plus interest and expenses. The remainder was applied toward local matches on CDBG grants to extend future sewer lines. A Dec. 2009 information sheet supplied to us by Moore County Public Utilities shows that in 1996, MoWASA took out a loan for $1,135,000 to cover the cost of Phase I, which covered installing sewer lines to 85 customers.

Mr. McKenzie stated the county attorney determined the county had no legal obligation to fulfill the promises made in the original agreement. Item 8 of the agreement states, “This agreement shall be binding on the parties, their successors and assigns.” We have always understood that to mean the agreement would be binding on any person or entity that takes over — in this case, Moore County.

Mr. McKenzie further states the Vass system has never been profitable and is subsidized by profits earned by the county utility system. It is our understanding that in a countywide system everyone pays the same rates, while he seems to indicate that the few people in Vass who currently have sewer should be paying more.

We appreciate the actions of the board of commissioners for recognizing the validity of the agreement and that Vass is just as much a part of the county system as Pinehurst and we deserve to get promised improvements to our system, even though we’ve had to wait 20 years.

I am joined in submitting this by the members of the Vass Town Board of Commissioners.

Eddie Callahan

Mayor, Town of Vass