August 15, 2011
Monday

A public library that was running into cost overruns even before the voters decided we needed one, a fire station with a blank check, a pool, a recreation center roof vetoed in the capital budget but tore the roof off any way, deferred maintenance year after year of our basic infrastructure (actually should be the priority of a city government) to enable us to pay the bond issue debt load -- it goes on and on. The reckless fiscal decisions the City of Ketchikan has made is now catching up with us. And the only thing our city manager - who led us into many of these ill advised financial decisions - can come up with is (golly ge wiz ) I think you all might have to raise taxes. The others who sit on the council supposedly guiding our city, can only come up with... hey let's sell the only profitable thing we got going (phone division).

Ketchikan needs a reality check. The only thing raising our taxes is our debt load and our debt load is largely driven by bond issues, and our bond issues are approved by you. So when higher taxes and layoffs occur it is the voters of this town who took your job.

Who's going to pay these higher taxes if a bunch of us lose our jobs? When you guys make these decision (council or assembly) there is a long term effect that must always be considered.

Voters please think before you decide we need a bunch of new buildings, when you vote on things. I agree it would be nice to have all new stuff but that is not reality .

Sorry couldn't help myself.

Charles Edwardson
Ketchikan, AK

About: "sick of stupid decisions"