Letter to the Editor: Middleport Council and new track hoe

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Dear Editor,

So now I hear the village of Middleport wants to buy a new backhoe. Could this be the reason for a water and sewage raise?

I’ve read Brian Conde’s letter explaining the need for the raise. I respectfully disagree with it but at least he tried to explain. I can tell you this, if the raise is approved not a one of you will be re-elected. None of the reasons I have heard supersede the financial hardship and loss of local business it will cause. Clearly everyone sitting on council has no economic hardships to worry about nor do the citizens of Middleport on public assistance. Everyone in the middle gets hammered for the difference. Maybe Council instead of finding new ways to spend money should find a way to bring in business. I remember a few short years ago Jason McDaniel wanted to put an inflatable water park in the Middleport Park, literally at no cost to the village and indeed at a profit to the village. Every Council member found a reason it was a bad idea. Now we have a bird sprinkler water park, rusting batting cages, and of course the ball fields paid for by the youth league.

We have streets we can’t drive on, even after a $15 street improvement fee on our license plates. Poor contract bidding has left us with a water and sewer system that looks like a hole digging contest between competing ground moles.

We cut down how many thousands of dollars worth of trees due to ineptness when they were planted making downtown look more like a ghost town than it already did. If it wasn’t for cool heads and strong leadership at the police department and fire department, Council would have screwed those up too.

All this and Council wants more of our money to mismanage. Hell no! Let Council get their act together and show that they are not the bumbling, hole digging, brick burying dotards they traditionally have been, then lets talk more money.

All purchases should be based on evidence of need, evidence of affordability, and brought to council at the lowest cost possible. If it isn’t vote no, and send it packing. I find it hard to fathom contractors have no late completion penalties and that we do not have an experienced licensed contractor overseeing them. I could go on but I think you get my point.

The buck stops with every council member, not as some like to point their finger and blame the mayor. Council legislates policy, the mayor carries it out with the treasurer making sure it is affordable. Council alone is responsible for policy. Some of them may defer to the Mayor or to Sue Baker, but in the end it was their responsibility that they deferred as well as any blame that goes with the deferral.

James Buskirk