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I’m stunned at what transpired at the Dec. 6, the Wyoming City Council and the press coverage it garnered in local papers. Most strikingly are the credence given the crowd who showed up wanting a flat city budget with no levy increases. Regarding our city streets its been over 18 years since they were improved in any major way. Now they are cracked, fragmented and patched with asphalt band-aids. Yet audience member Hestekin declared “it’s the wrong time” to seriously and finally, address this worsening infrastructure problem. And former councilman Russ Goudge said the current council should be “representing us; doing what’s best for us.” Whose “us” Kimosabe and just whose interests are you addressing and you say "us"?
The odd thing is that it appears four members of our Wyoming city government did, indeed, best representing our city's short and long term interests. Not for just a select few but for ALL the peoples of our greater combined community. Even anti tax Joe Zerwas swallowed hard and did, seemingly, the right thing. This while council member Linda Nanko Yeager called for a flat levy, saying “The people have spoken and spoken loudly. They can’t handle the increase,” (from the Forest Lake Press).
Councilwoman Yeager must have a better plan of her own in the works? One which will cut city staffing or department budgets eliminating needless waste and personnel? Certainly 30 people, mostly from the former township, wouldn’t sway her towards short term thinking. But I will say, on the surface, this appears to be a case of strange bedfellows and that one council member is out of step with responsible, sound, city planning.
I think the next many months so be very interesting as to where budget proposals for 2012-13, end up.
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