By anyone’s standards, a million-and-a-half U.S. dollars is a substantial amount.

That is the number that represents the earnings of attorneys connected with the Alpena Township/Alpena water rate disagreement thus far.

Actually, it closer to $1.6 million, and that number goes back six years, to 2014.

The point is, what have residents of the two government entities got to show for that expenditure?

More to the point, do residents of the two government entities believe they are any closer to a solution than where they were when this first started?

Call us foolish, but we believe that, after six years and $1.6 million having been distributed, we should be closer to a conclusion than where we seem to be.

We wonder out loud if it is not time to exert more pressure on both sides to get this disagreement resolved.

We would like to see a resident, or residents, file suit against the two governments to force them both back into court. Maybe then a judge could appoint an arbitrator who would be given a set timeframe to oversee negotiations.

If the timeframe expired with no agreement reached, then it would be the arbitrator’s role to offer up a settlement that both sides would be bound to accept.

Residents of each entity deserve better than where we are today.

We have to believe Alpena Township and city residents are tired of seeing their money poured down the drain.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)