I read with doubtful thoughts the article in Friday’s paper of the upcoming retreat.
Instead of spending $1500 of taxpayer’s money for rental of Plymouth Bluff and Hardwick’s fee, why couldn’t they have had the retreat at the Trotter Center. Centrally located in town, Trotter requires only a walk around the block, instead of a drive all the way out to the Plymouth Bluff. Numerous uptown cafes could have catered the lunch and refreshments needed.
Hardwick could have come to the Trotter Center. The council is not achieving their goals if they continuously spend our taxpayer money in this way.
Every council meeting the council approves reimbursements of travel expenses, meal expenses, registration fees, lodging expenses and never bat an eye about the thousands of dollars of our taxpayer money. Most of the time the expenditures are not even discussed. Vote YES and move on with the other issues at hand.
Also, there have been several instances where, mayor, entire city council, COO, CFO, HR director, federal programs director, city planner, fire chief, police chief (14 personnel) attend out of town meetings and city taxpayers’ money is allocated for
14 registration fees, lodging, travel expenses, and meal expenses for each. (Do they travel down in a city van as one group, or separately? Do they each have separate motel rooms or share rooms, double beds, etc.?) As taxpayers, we need to wake up and see how our taxpayers’ dollars are being spent and start questioning our city leaders and councilmen as to why all these people are required to attend.
It is time that more people start attending the City Council meetings, first and third Tuesdays each month at 5 p.m. at the Municipal Complex. Come, attend and listen to how our city government is run and taxpayers money being allocated out. Ask why we are having such a large number of police officers resigning, three recently. Of course, we just hired six new officers.
This is our city. Let’s get involved more.
Margaret Evans
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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