Theron Sanders Sr.: Atwater council borrowing rather than balancing budget
Imagine agonizing over the family budget to discover it can only be balanced with lots of borrowed money. Thereafter, the money is spent foolishly with little to no concern. The city of Atwater has done that when they balanced their budget via a $5 million loan.
Despite the loan from the city’s sewer fund, the city continued in it’s economic free fall with a $1.9 million deficit. If there’s an answer to Atwater’s financial woes, it need start with the city council. Unfortunately, it’s hallmark is closed and secretive governance. Closed governing began when the council directed the city manager to terminate the planning traffic, and parks Commissions. Secret governing started in a trailer behind city hall, when an arrogant Oversight Commission chairman conducted a public meeting without any of the public present, and no agenda – as required by law. The Atwater City Council must step up, dust off those long forgotten campaign promises and put into practice sound fiscal principles, just as they said they would. Remember?
Theron Sanders Sr., Atwater
This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Theron Sanders Sr.: Atwater council borrowing rather than balancing budget."