Editor:
In response to Kim Lawrence’s letter in The New Era (April 26), I would like to make the following points:
Mrs. Lawrence, at the least, owes an apology to the Sweet Home Tree Commission, Beautification Committee, Garden Club, SHEDG, Community Foundation and all those other groups and individuals who have worked so tirelessly to make Sweet Home the beautiful city everyone else sees today. As one who spent over 10 years working with the Tree Commission, I am offended with her comments about the city being a “pathetic sight” that looks like a “run-down, welfare-looking city. ”
The comments about the budget were incorrect and Ms. Lawrence should verify her facts with the city manager, finance director or public works director in order to better understand how the budget for the city of Sweet Home works – especially that there is only one General Fund.
Again, she should verify her facts about how the levy for the Police Department and city library works before encouraging people to vote against them. It would be a very sad place indeed if we did not have the police there to protect us or the city library there to feed our need for books to read and enjoy.
The Public Works employees are a group of dedicated people who do a number of jobs that the rest of us would not want to do. They work in all kinds of weather, in areas that I personally would not even want to think about. They are the ones who make sure there are sand bags available if your home is in danger of flooding. They are the ones out in the middle of the night when something goes wrong with your sewer or water supply.
The people who “run” this town are a group of people who dedicate their time and energy trying to make Sweet Home a better, safer place to live and are always looking for better ways to finance the improvements they know are needed or, in some cases, just desired by the people of Sweet Home.
I encourage anyone that is interested in the city budget process to attend the budget meetings currently being held and not to believe everything that is published in a letter like the ones Mrs. Lawrence writes. Please contact City Hall about the times and places where the budget meetings are held.
I am very proud to say that I live in the city of Sweet Home and believe its people are some of the best in the world and am proud to call them friends and neighbors.
Charlene Adams
Sweet Home