City could use some advice on how to better spend its money
The cost of living in McMinnville continually rises: utility usage, brush pick up, and a few weeks ago mention was made of raising taxes again.
A few weeks ago, an economist was brought in to evaluate our situation. With industries moving to Mexico and other places, people are out of work. The economist didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know. Our outlook is bleak and we need to flatline until about 2008. He was paid $48,000 for that bit of information and just about anybody in McMinnville could have told this to our leaders free of charge.
One place money could be saved would be at the new pool. A good start would be to recall all the $5 season passes issued to city employees, their families and others. Some of the reasoning behind this was the pay scale for city employees is not very high and the season pass would be an extra benefit for them.
City employees are not the only ones in McMinnville who work on a pay scale that is not high. My daughter is a single mother and the cost for her and her son is $220 for a season pass.
Then a motivational speaker was invited to talk to the city employees to give them encouragement since dealing with the public sometimes puts them in situations where people are rude. The cost for this was $5,000. Anybody dealing with the public can very easily be subjected to this type of confrontation and abuse.
Downtown we have a scene that resembles an earthquake, all in the name of new sidewalks. Given our economic situation, the planners for that downtown renovation really got carried away.
I realize I don’t know a lot about the inner structure of city management. However, old-fashioned common sense needs to play a role. The city, with some help from the county, has spent $53,000 for people to come in and talk about things that were not necessary. This money could have been better spent on hiring a financial advisor because the city sure does need one.
Jo Snider
Forest Drive
McMinnville