Private Pools and Political Parity

Yesterday I sort of jokingly asked Council Chair Calvin Ball if he had any private pools in his district. Dr. Balls District 2 is often thought as a Columbia district because it includes the Villages of Oakland Mills, Long Reach, and a part of Owen Brown. It also includes Columbia Gateway.

"Watermont is in my district," he told me.

Wow!

As it happens, the District 2  line crosses over Route 100 just far enough to pick up the Watermont Swim Club, the very same Watermont that I called the poster child for the pools bill. This is also the same club whose president Calvin skewered in the legislative work session on the pools bill!

I was pretty surprised when I heard that. I was even more surprised when I discovered that another of the private swim club, Forest Hill, is in Councilperson Mary Kay Sigatys District 4. District 4 is also thought of as a Columbia district.

The math here seems pretty simple. Four of the five council members have a private swim club in their district that would benefit from this legislation. It’s summertime, people are at the pools and this bill has stirred up the HoCo loco political waters. Forget about redistricting, intermodal terminals and charter review commissions, pools and property taxes are what people are really getting worked up about.

I’m now saying this bill passes at the next council legislative session on July 28^th.

UPDATE: Lindsey McPherson with the HoCo Times kindly pointed out to me that all council members have a private swim club in their district. I had overlooked the fact that the Atholton Swim Club is in Jen Terrasa's District 3. Thanks Lindsey!