To the editor:
The City Council held a workshop last Monday evening to discuss this year’s revenue sharing shortfall of approximately $382,000, and along with Manager Austin Bleess, Assistant Manager Tony Mazzucco, and department heads, brought forth various ideas, at Council’s request, on how the city may cover some of this shortfall so as to not raise taxes. They were merely suggestions, some minor, some major, and input was given to council by the department heads as to whether or not they should be implemented.
Let me once again emphasize that the council asked for these ideas and because this was just a workshop and not a sanctioned council meeting, opinions were expressed, ideas were tossed about, but no formal votes were taken on these issues. A few days before the workshop was held, Manager Bleess did serve notice to one part-time employee that his position was being eliminated because it could be incorporated into one of our contracted services with considerable savings to the city. In my opinion, unpleasant though it was, that was just good business. Some tough decisions have to be made and implemented, it is what it is, and it is not personal.
However, during the course of the meeting, one councilor appeared to take a very personal exception with that particular termination and some of the suggestions that were merely discussed but not acted on, and announced that he would serve on the council for free, and strongly suggested that the council not accept their pay and that Manager Bleess give back 5 percent of his salary to show “solidarity” with the city employees and the cuts being made. He reiterated this several times without much of a reaction from the council.
I had promised myself that once on council, I would keep my opinions to myself, and try to do the very best job I could for this city and the people in it. In the eight months that I have served on council, I have tried to do just that, and I have put my heart and soul into the job, and I am not alone.
It is a tough job, and there is a whole different perspective sitting in the council chair instead of a chair in the audience. None of us can please everyone, no matter how well intentioned we are. I have had wonderful compliments and I have had people holler at me on the phone so loudly I think the whole road could hear them. And, in the spirit of transparency, I am aware that the councilor in question has also written a letter on this subject. So, right or wrong, I am going to give you my point of view.
Both Austin and Tony are doing an outstanding job and Caribou is so fortunate to have them both. I personally have seen their efforts and I do not believe either one of them should relinquish one red cent of their salary; they earn it! They work long and hard, as do the other city employees.
As far as the council working for free, that is a personal choice. I would have run for council even if it were not a paid position, but because it is, I choose to accept the pay I get, which really isn’t all that much. My pay for last quarter was just under $400, if I remember correctly, and although it is nobody’s business, I will say that I give most of mine away to one cause or another. I think most of the other councilors do, too, but what they do with their money is their business.
If a councilor chooses to work for free, again, that is his business, but I felt that the self-righteous tongue-lashing the council and especially the city manager received the other night was way beyond the realm of good taste and professionalism, and actually bordered on harassment. We are all trying to do what is best for the city and its people. Let’s all concentrate on that, and keep the personal feelings out of it.
Joan Theriault
Caribou
