THE VILLAGE of Bridgeport finds itself embroiled in a water dispute.

At issue is whether the village should abolish the current village administrator position and establish a board of public affairs. Should such an occurrence play out, a water board would also return.

At last week’s village council meeting, a heated debate ignited concerning the water department. The department’s operations are currently overseen by the administrator and a department supervisor.

Should council opt to return to a board of public affairs, the water board would assume control of the department.

Some council members attempted last week to push the legislation through in emergency fashion. We say, what is the rush?

Change of such magnitude needs proper discussion as well as time for the public to give input.

Village council recently instituted a water rate increase. It came after three readings, which was the fair route to go.

With that as a foundation, action on the board of public affairs and an accompanying water board should also play out over the same time frame. That being the case, the citizens of Bridgeport can step to the plate and express their wishes to the village leadership.

One major question looming is accountability. Village council would not have control of the water board, but rather the board of public affairs.

Such was the case a fews years back in Bridgeport. An issue with rampant water department overtime pay led to the board’s abolition.

Village council was left out of the loop with the water board’s operation, ultimately leading to its demise. It now appears that the current water supervision is flowing smoothly in Bridgeport.

The bottom line is for the people of Bridgeport to be part of the decision-making process. They need to let council members know their stance on the matter and council needs to heed those wishes.