In 2003, a professional firm did a study on how Albert Lea residents viewed a local option sales tax to fund lake improvement projects. Here’s what the statistically valid survey found:

Three out of four residents feel local lakes make an &8220;extremely, very or quite important&8221; contribution to the quality of life in Albert Lea.

Four out of five Albert Lea residents believe a lake cleanup effort will make an &8220;extremely, very or quite&8221; important contribution to a better overall quality of life for residents of Albert Lea.

At least three out of four Albert Lea residents agree &8220;strongly or somewhat&8221; that a lakes cleanup effort will benefit the community in all the following ways:

1) Provide opportunities for family recreation;

2) Enhance the beauty of the community;

3) Improve opportunities for fishing;

4) Contribute to the economy by attracting visitors;

5) Provide better habitat for wildlife;

6) Make Albert Lea a more desirable place to live and work; and

7) Contribute to the tax base by increasing property values.

The survey asked Albert Lea residents to rate the importance of eight separate attributes and activities important to a family’s quality of life. Guess what? Clean lake water quality was the most important. Other top vote-getters were beauty of the city, wildlife and waterfowl areas, fishing, swimming, boating and water-skiing &045; all related to clean waters.

Now let’s look at some other facts:

Number of people who petitioned to form the Shell Rock River Watershed District: 755 households.

Number of people on the Watershed District Board of Managers: 7 (and these 7 managers are residential property owners in the watershed).

Amount paid to Watershed District Board of Managers: $55 per diem (per day worked). State law allows $75 per diem. So far in 2005, the District has paid a total of $5,830 in per diem, which averages out to $832.86 per manager. In 2004, the District paid a total of $14,685 for all seven managers’ per diem, or $2,098 average per manager.

Number of pages in the Shell Rock River Watershed District plan: 172.

Number of agencies that reviewed the plan: 4 &045; Freeborn County, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

The Watershed District’s maximum tax levy in 2006 without the local option sales tax:

$448,000.

The Watershed District’s maximum levy in 2006 if the local option sales tax passes: $250,000.

Amount of money from the sales tax that will go toward Board Managers pay or District personnel: 0 – that’s zero.

Percentage of sales tax revenue that will go toward projects: 100 percent.

Date of the referendum: Nov. 8. Polls in Albert Lea will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Be sure to vote.