Clearwater’s Mirage: The Decade-Old Sewer Scheme Reborn
Lorain County Commissioners’ August 26th Meeting Unveils a Familiar Pattern of Power and Broken Promises
Aug 27, 2025
A History They’d Rather Forget
The Clearwater Regional Sewer District isn’t new—it’s a revival of a plan that’s been lurking in Lorain County’s backrooms for over a decade. In 2012, the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce quietly assembled a working group to study a unified sewer district for the Black River watershed. Consultants, including Malcolm Pirnie, delivered the same promises we heard again last week: consolidation would “stabilize rates” and “ensure compliance” with environmental mandates.
But when it came time to hand over control of local sewer infrastructure to an unelected regional board, city leaders balked. They saw the risks. They saw the potential for hidden costs, for decisions made far from those most affected, for the slow erosion of local accountability. The plan died—until now.
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Fast forward to August 26, 2025. Attorney Lou McMahon stood before the Lorain County Commissioners, touting “Clearwater,” a supposedly fresh solution. In reality, it’s the same idea—repackaged, rushed, and fueled by the allure of $80 million from the All Ohio Future Fund.
“This is not about modernizing infrastructure for the public good. It’s about centralizing power, offloading debt, and insulating decision-makers from accountability.”
A Board Without Voters, A Plan Without Checks
Under Ohio Revised Code 6119, Clearwater would be governed by a three-member board. Avon Lake, LORCO, and Lorain County will each appoint one member. No elections. No direct voter oversight.
County Administrator Karen Davis told the room, “Clearwater will not be controlled by the county.” She’s right—technically. But this statement obscures the deeper truth: the very same political actors rushing to create this district will control who sits on that board. Once established, that board will have the authority to issue debt, set rates, and expand its reach—all beyond the hands of voters.
This is precisely how accountability erodes. We’ve seen this before.
A Pattern of Overpromising: MARCS, CCI, and Beyond
Lorain County’s big-ticket projects often begin with grand promises and end with taxpayer disappointment.
Take the MARCS radio system. Initially sold as a seamless upgrade for public safety communications, it devolved into a financial and operational nightmare. Costs ballooned, technical problems persisted, and residents were left wondering why basic emergency communications had become such a costly debacle.
Or consider the CCI lawsuit still looming over the commissioners. It’s a stark reminder of what happens when transparency and oversight are sacrificed for political expediency. What was pitched as an airtight contract with a private vendor has now metastasized into costly litigation—dragging on for years, draining public funds, and eroding public trust.
“Every time, they overpromise, underdeliver, and leave taxpayers holding the bag.”
Clearwater fits perfectly into this pattern. Promises of “no rate increases beyond Avon Lake’s projections” are as hollow as those that preceded MARCS and CCI. History suggests those projections will crumble once the district gains the power to issue bonds and expand.
What’s Really at Stake
The stakes are far more than technical sewer management—they’re about who controls the infrastructure underpinning thousands of homes and businesses.
Under Clearwater, local municipalities lose direct control over a critical public utility. Ratepayers face the very real prospect of hidden hikes, opaque spending, and infrastructure decisions made in closed-door boardrooms rather than public meetings.
The timeline should alarm anyone who values due process:
- Mid-October: A single joint public hearing.
- Early November: Petitions filed in court.
That’s lightning-fast for a project of this scale. And it’s happening as public attention is consumed by other scandals, including the CCI debacle.
“The public deserves more than a single rushed hearing for a project that will control millions of dollars and decades of debt.”
Final Thought: Another Mirage Disguised as Progress
Clearwater is not a bold new solution, it’s a decade-old scheme dressed up for the 2025 political stage. It represents a fundamental shift of power from the people to a small circle of appointees, driven not by public demand but by the lure of state money.
Lorain County residents have seen this play out too many times: a big rollout, a promise of efficiency, and a quiet transfer of control. In the end, taxpayers pay the bill, while the decision-makers walk away unaccountable.
This is Part I of my deep dive into the August 26 Commissioners’ meeting. Next, in Part II, I’ll examine the push to create a County Public Defender’s Office—and ask whether it’s about justice, or just another political land grab.
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Written by Aaron C. Knapp for Lorain Politics Unplugged
All rights reserved. This article represents the author’s opinions based on public records, meetings, and research. It is not legal advice. Readers should consult qualified professionals for legal matters.
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