To the editor:
You have spoken before. Yes, on two previous occasions, you, the citizens of Caribou, have voted your concerns on the direction in which the city is going. First, when you signed the petition seeking a change in the method of calculating the budgets. You wanted each departments’ budget clear and concise, and in layman’s terms, submitted to the City Council for their approval, and finally, to you, the citizens, for your approval. After approval, each department head would be responsible to stay within that budget. This would be enforced by the city manager, whose salary you are paying, and the Council whom you have elected. You, the citizens of Caribou, should be on the top shelf, the council who represents you one shelf down, and then the city manager, hired by the council to carry out their mandate that you elected them to do. Are we in this order?
Secondly, you confirmed your concerns when you voted in favor of establishing a charter commission. This commission, which has no power, will review the existing charter, some 40 years old, and make suggested changes where they deem necessary. When they have completed this task, you the people of Caribou, will vote on the revised charter. You will be on the top shelf.
In spite of the petition signatures and your vote to establish a commission, the council has appointed individuals who do not want change, and they have publicly stated so.
The commission will be composed of nine members, three of which are appointed by the council and six who will be elected by you on Nov. 2, 2010. This is by state statute.
Also, there are two new individuals seeking your vote to fill two vacancies on the City Council. They will bring positive change to our city government in the way money is spent. In the coming days, 26 to be exact, learn about the candidates for the charter commission and the City Council.
You have spoken twice before, so let’s speak once more on Election Day, Nov. 2nd, to elect people who will bring change to our city, and put you, the Caribou tax payer, the one paying the bills, on the top shelf.
Donald Goughan
Caribou
