Dear Editor
Where did the Mayor and City Council find their huge money tree? Some examples of what I’m talking about include:
1) Purchasing five cars for police officers to drive back and forth to work. It’s not just about the initial expense, but this will also include extra money for gas and all of the other maintenance that goes along with it. I was told that these cars being at the homes of the officers will cut down on vandalism. Really?
2) Purchasing pickups for each of the department heads to drive home and back so they can get to work if the weather is bad. This was approved in the name of public safety?
3) The Council is constantly giving cost of living raises to employees far above what the cost of living was. Plus, offering 4% to 8% match for retirement because that is what the State of South Dakota does.
4) They are also giving raises to employees for certifications that they may never use; ie spraying for weeds when you work in the street department.
5) Offering to pay $200,000 for a piece of property that may never be used for the proposed jail expansion that, to the best of my knowledge, they don’t even know 100% what it will cost, nor do the taxpayers.
6) Who negotiated with the local cable company after they completely destroyed most, if not all, of the alleys in town? I understand they have a utility easement that allows them space to work on their utilities, but to accept $14,000 to fix what they ruined makes no sense. If you figure conservatively $500 per alley for approximately 75 alleys that need repair, well you do the math and tell me how the amount the City accepted is just. Now, the garbage trucks can’t get down the alleys when it’s wet because they are junk. So what’s next? CURBSIDE TRASH PICK UP!
The list goes on! In my opinion, the chain of command is broken at City Hall and I think we need to find that tree and cut it down.
-Roger Farley
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