Theron Sanders Sr.: Measure H Oversight Committee should be disbanded

When Atwater citizens voted to a increase in sales tax by way of Measure H, their desire was to help public safety. The city council wisely concluded our police need more equipment, vehicles and, of course, more officers on the street. Another smart decision was the establishment of the Measure H Oversight Committee, which was tasked to insure the money would be spent solely on public safety, but not on any specific items. That’s when the smartness ended, and the wheels came off the Oversight Committee train.

The Committee turned rogue by convening its first meeting in secret, thereby committing a Brown Act misdemeanor. Then, violating their sole legal purpose of simply approving public safety spending, they arrogantly gave a no-confidence vote against the city council for not approving another million-dollar firetruck.

The newly constituted city council must immediately disband this rogue, power-hungry commission that has ignored its purpose of insuring taxpayers money be spent for intended purposes. Atwater has no more room for more mismanagement and under-handed governance.

This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Theron Sanders Sr.: Measure H Oversight Committee should be disbanded."