Letters TO THE EDITOR

The newspaper welcomes brief letters (generally no longer than 400 words) that express an opinion on a currently newsworthy topic. The writer’s contact information must be included for verification. Letters that contain defamatory comments, open letters, third-party letters, letters sent to more than one publication, and letters that would more appropriately be advertisements, including Cards of Thanks, are unlikely to be published. One letter generally is allowed per writer per calendar month.

Herbel explains

To the editor:

I feel it necessary to answer Mayor David Mayfield’s questions with a letter to the editor because he never lets me finish a sentence in council meetings.

In regard to my letter to [budget consultant] Scot Loyd, Scot was the first one to mention that there appears to be $640,000 of in the three-quarter percent sales tax misused or missing.

This was stated in a budget meeting July 5. After the meeting, he suggested that the sales tax be put into a fund by itself so it could be tracked. I estimated the amount to be closer to $449,000.

I spent an hour and a half in City Administrator Brogan Jones’s office July 20, asking where this money went — with no answer. So where are all the records on how this money was spent?

The same day, I told him I would not vote for exceeding the revenue neutral rate. It is very apparent that Mayfield would like to keep the missing tax funds a secret as he would not answer my question at council meetings about the missing funds. He replied he didn’t know what I was talking about.

I also received two phone calls from Scot, the first one right after he had received my letter, which I apologized for, explaining that I was upset because of the missing tax fund. He was very understanding on why I was upset.

The second call was to tell me that Mayfield would be addressing the letter at a council meeting July 24, which I thanked him for.

So now the city is trying to raise its mill levy from 65.873 to 74.774.

If you are concerned about the raise in your taxes, call your city council members and express your views.

A tax hearing Sept 5. is where it will be decided whether or not to exceed the revenue neutral rate and increase your taxes.

Ruth C. Herbel
Marion City Council member