The main stumbling block to hiring a watershed inspector for the Owasco Lake watershed comes down, for some, to an issue of who will pay for the post.

Currently there are two main methods that are being discussed for funding. The first, and simplest, would be for Cayuga County to use its larger tax base to hire an inspector. The other is for Auburn and town of Owasco, as the two largest communities to treat water within the county, and who have legal authority to protect the watershed, to put an assessment on water users (some 40,000 people) to pay for the cost of an inspector.

While Cayuga County should take the lead in putting this position in place, it may make more sense, because of an existing logistical framework, for Auburn and Owasco to hire an inspector immediately.

While only about half of the county would pay for the cost of this position under such a scenario, these two municipalities can put a surcharge on their bills to fund a new position in a relatively short time period. By attaching pennies per thousands of gallons sold, the funds can be generated for the job and also take advantage of $60,000 of one time funding secured by state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette.

While this is the easiest and fastest way to accomplish this, it is not politically simple to do. One only had to listen, two weeks ago, to the presentation by City Comptroller Lisa Green to hear that the city has drained its fund balance in its water fund and needs, to keep that enterprise account solvent, a rate increase, most likely by the beginning of summer. That is hard enough to do in any year (the city council has already failed to increase rates to users to prevent the drawing down of this fund that should be used for regular maintenance and as an emergency reserve) let alone in an election year where a majority of city council is up for re-election. So the idea of compounding this with an extra watershed inspection fee no matter how logical, is a hard sell.

The other alternative is to get the county to do this. There are several elected officials who believe this is politically impossible. They contend some shortsighted legislators believe that the issue of protecting the integrity of Owasco Lake is the responsibility of the 40,000 who drink from it, not the 40,000 who don't.

More importantly there are those, who represent large swaths of agricultural areas, who are fearful that a watershed inspector may crack down on agricultural operations that may be part of the cause for the deterioration of Owasco Lake that, in part, has been attributed to fertilizers and animal waste.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com