Editor:
In response to the finance director and the city manager’s Letter to the Editor (April 19 and reprinted today, above), one has to ask. First of all, being on the budget committee, I see first-hand (sort of) where most funds go. And, I stress, “most funds.” The city has quite a few “General Funds.”
These are funds set up to use for whatever they wish to spend it on. Example being, they used $53,000 that was in the Public Works general fund, and it was supposed to go to purchase new equipment. Instead, the city used the funds to have aerial shots of the city.
I hope the people of Sweet Home stand up and say “No more taxes or levies.” Let the city pull the money for the police and library out of one of the many “General Funds Account.”
The cost of taxes here are ridiculous and the price of water horrendous. Look around at this town at all the new developments being built. This city has a lot of money (don’t let them fool you) but it is the way they spend it.
My ideas would be: 1. Cut the benefits a city employee receives (we the public pay for all their benefits and do we get the same benefits ….no).
2. Take away the “cost of living raises” these employees get. (Since this town has quite a few retired people who are on Social Security and normally don’t get anything near what these employees get.) Last year, when I brought this same question up to the city manager, I was told they handle this with their union leaders.
3. Reduce the number of Public Works employees (I know I am not the only one that see these employees driving all over town with nothing to do).
4. Get rid of the people who run this town. Replace them with people who can bring businesses to this town like Lebanon does. When entering this town, it is a very pathetic sight. It looks like a run-down, welfare-looking city. They do not use the resources that they have available. Instead they stay in a box and never look out.
I hope the people here in Sweet Home are as fed up as I am with the taxes we already have to pay. And if that is not bad enough, we pay a very high price for water that is non-drinkable unless you filter it. Vote no on the police and library levies. Make the city take it out of all the money they made on permits and taxes. Make them responsible and use what taxes we already pay!
Kim Lawrence
Sweet Home