Mike English continued his contrarian ways at Tuesday's meeting of the Butler Area Sewer Authority.

English voted against retaining Chester Engineering as BASA's engineering consultants and gave three abstentions: one for the re-appointment of Jerry Patterson as board chairman, one for the reappointment of himself as board treasurer, and one for a $55 increase in tap-in fees starting March 1. The fee will be $2,745.

The other four board members, Van Peterson, John Heim, both who attended the meeting in person, and Patterson and George Shockey, both who attended via conference call from Florida, voted for all the motions.

English's longest argument Monday was that he would only accept the title of treasurer if the board made it an active position instead of an oversight title. He said he wants to be in charge of the investigation, interviewing and writing of a contract for bond offers BASA will take out for its state required storage tank project. The project is expected to cost about $30 million.

Patterson said the investigation and agreements for bonding agents and bond offers should be a "total board decision."

Other board members agreed and all board members continue to hold their previous officer titles: Patterson as chairman, Heim as vice chairman, English as treasurer, Peterson as secretary and Shockey as assistant secretary/treasurer.

But after his 10-minute argument, English abstained from voting, saying later that he just didn't have that strong of an opinion on the matter.

He gave the same no strong opinion for his abstentions of Patterson's reappointment and the tap-in fee increase.

As for his no vote on the reappointment of Chester, English argued before the vote that the authority had not talked to any other engineering firms, but the other four board members said a search was made for a new firm about three years ago.

The board found that a new engineering firm would have to start from the beginning with new calculations and planning for the tank project, which would mean a setback for the project that the state Department of Environmental Protection would not allow.

"Professional engineers don't just take another's data and use it. They calculate their own data and that's time we don't have," Heim said.