By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – June 29, 2021 Most people who genuinely care, will have received the news that the recent recount of the Fire Protection District's effort for a parcel tax which initially failed has been reversed by once again the narrowest of margins. This has produced the historical conundrum of a nearly equal split in voters on what should be considered a tax measure and be required at least a two thirds vote to insure a smaller level of discontent with the outcome. It is certain that the "boys" at the CFPD are whooping it up with glee over their apparent success, but it is certain to come at a significant cost to the district. They may not know it yet, but they have just created a "giant problem" for themselves going forward if they choose to accept this as a "win". The problems do not end there. What is even more troubling is the fact that most parcel tax voters and a growing percentage of the local population are developing a mistrust of anything local government is involved in and rightly so. With the recent debacle at the Clerk's Office under the direction of Alissia Northrup, the distrust has kicked into high gear. Most certainly there is much to be concerned about Northrup's handling of this questionable voting process and it is easy enough to cry foul. Whether fraud is a major concern or not, and not easily proven, what should be of even more concern is the office itself. Something that in a very spectacular form has emerged regarding Alissia Northrup's Office over the course of the past two weeks. Irregardless of whether or not fraud was committed in the Clerk's Office, the larger question remains, is the Clerk/Recorder Alissia Northrup competent enough to run her office? In the course of the current debacle we have learned that no one in the Clerk's Office can make an accurate count in a voting situation where every vote matters. Even after the current "recount" is it correct? Northrup has now had three reported opportunities to come up with the correct numbers and has certainly whiffed on the first two counts, why not the third? It calls into question every thing that her office has done since she was elected, and perhaps even before. The Clerk/Recorder is dependent on scrupulously and accurately kept records and counts. The public expect that out of this office without fail. How is it that on the first count a "Yes" is misplaced? How is it on Northrup's second bite of the apple, four additional votes fail to emerge? Is the recount, the third bite at the apple, actually correct? After all, there should be "NO" confidence is this recount after the train wreck leading up to this point. Given the Clerk/Recorder's obvious mishandling of the votes, the obvious questions of competency in her Office and coupling that with the Crescent Fire Protection District's questionable manufacture of favorable voting circumstances, if the CFPD's Board certifies this recount and proceeds to assess parcel owners the additional parcel tax, there will be stormy clouds in the District's immediate future. The best path forward for the District under this set of circumstances is to not move forward with this disaster, work with the community on what they expect and are willing to pay to support a reasonable level of financial support for what they actually need. This is not found in the current ten year master plan, the way the voting was structured, and the outcome.