Bill Barkman: New council, mayor find running Atwater not so easy

Atwater’s City Council is off to a poor start in 2015, with gratuitous ladder-truck criticisms and zero community membership on the Budget Committee. Fire and police services are both important. Committee transparency is essential to public trust and morale.

The last city council passed up a more fully equipped ladder-truck in 2013 and were told a different truck would not include equipment already installed on the first.

Councilman Raymond rarely attended council meetings before his election and never attended a Measure H meeting.

Mayor Price’s assertions don’t make sense. He was on the Measure H Committee and attended council meetings as a vocal member of the anti-laddertruck crowd. The vast majority of Measure H is going to police services. The cost of the ladder-truck, plus added equipment, is less than 9 percent of total Measure H funds.

The new Finance and Budget Committee doesn’t include anyone from the local financial community. November’s candidates condemned the lack of transparency, openness and inclusion on former commissions and committees. They are now doing what they condemned. The mayor and council need to do better and add at least a token member from our financial community to this vital committee.

This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Bill Barkman: New council, mayor find running Atwater not so easy."