I would guess that the Willmar City Council or city administrators wouldn't take a cut in pay. Neither would I. But in my budget I've had to cut back, postpone purchases that I could use and/or would be nice.
I myself don't use natural gas, I'm on city heat. Every year taxes go up, insurance, gas etc. But I have to budget for it. Perhaps the mayor needs to look harder at the budget.
F-14 lights $5,000? Is this for that plane we just had to have and just sitting at the airfield? What -- are we spending five grand to see the grass grow underneath it at night now?
$15,000 for air conditioning replacement? Is it broken? Because we have air conditioning where I work but it still gets hot.
What about $195,000 for a loader for the public works? What's wrong with the one they have now? Two more patrol cars? What about a couple of seized cars?
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New chairs and furniture? $69,000 in equipment and upgrades? $31,000 for a "city hall" vehicle?
Is the aquatic center really costing us $144,000 a year? $381,671 for "leisure services" with $32,000 in a "capital outlay program"?
This is just some off the Web site.
Is all this necessary? Because I would like a new car also, my house could use central air. But what I would really like is some peace and quiet from the trains! But I see this isn't in your budget. Seems everyone on the north side must once again deal with another delay in fixing this issue. A town of 18,000 people and one way to get across the tracks! Another company wanting to bring jobs to Willmar and getting shut down.
Now you want to add another tax because that's what a franchise fee really is, right? I say we take another look at the budget and find some fat, cut it off and then see if you have a job after next election. Because maybe, just maybe, there's some things we all can do without until the money flow improves for both sides.
Chris Peterson
Willmar
