Lawyer’s letter causes stir in New Market

Monday, April 23, 2007

Lawyer’s letter causes stir in New Market

by Rebecca McClay | Staff Writer

E-mail this article \ Print this article

A letter written by the Town of New Market’s attorney and circulated among residents on the letterhead of a pro-annexation group last week has raised some questions from annexation opponents.

Attorney William Wantz of Hagerstown wrote a letter to residents earlier this year that underscored the positives of the annexation. A newly formed pro-annexation group, YES! New Market, republished the letter on its letterhead and sent it to New Market voters last week.

The New Market Town Council voted in December to annex the 262-acre Smith-Cline property, but voters took the decision to referendum. An election will be held 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the town hall, 32 West Main St.

Annexation proponents said they want control over the land so it does not develop in the county’s jurisdiction. Opponents said they fear the impact of development on roads and schools.

Members of the YES! New Market’s counterpart, Concerned Citizens of New Market, said they believe the town should not have funding connections to the letter from YES! New Market, regardless of whether it was first written for the town.

Nancy Sponseller, who owns an antiques shop on Main Street and is a member of Concerned Citizens, said she received the letter last week. ‘‘I don’t think it’s right,” Sponseller said. ‘‘A lot of taxpayers in town take the opposite view [from YES! New Market]. I resent that the town paid for it.”

Wantz said Friday that he plans to charge the town for writing the original letter, and that he did not know how YES! New Market received a copy of it.

Wantz said he was glad the group used the letter, and that it was not a conflict of interest because the Town Council supported the points made in the letter. Council members Shane Rossman and Rita Muller are members of YES! New Market.

For the full letter, visit www.yesnewmarket.org⁄pdf⁄WANTZLetter.pdf. For more on the annexation, visit www.townofnewmarket.org.