Frank Smith: Even with so many clowns, nothing funny about Atwater’s ‘circus’
The entertainment value of a circus often depends on the skill of the ringmaster. The old Barnum & Bailey folks would be delighted with the spectacle put on last week by the Atwater City Council. As entertaining as it was, it was an embarrassment and a lesson by Mayor Jim Price on how to conduct a nonproductive, name-calling, chaotic meeting.
Despite a new city manager who is desperately trying to bring the city back from the brink of financial collapse, our disgruntled mayor – with his sidekick, council member Jim Vinyard – stymies every proposal and positive change Art de Werk makes. The result is an ineffective and divided city council.
State auditors have notified Atwater that their cursory look at our finances warrants a complete audit. Thanks, Mayor Price. We’re back on the state’s radar. Will the results be a repeat of the 2014 audit that revealed massive irregularities? If only Atwater can struggle through until November, then voters will have an opportunity to replace the council’s present ringmaster with a more competent mayor
Frank Smith, Atwater
This story was originally published March 12, 2018 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Frank Smith: Even with so many clowns, nothing funny about Atwater’s ‘circus’."