Letter: Current council has failed Richland residents
Your selection of Bob Thompson for the Richland City Council was predictable. He is the most experienced candidate. However, over the past five years there have been a number of decisions that were a surprise to Richland residents, and the excuse has been “residents didn’t pay attention.”
Well, not everyone goes to every city council meeting, city Facebook page or the city Twitter site. And the Tri-City Herald reports news after residents’ negative reactions.
The real problem is the council members and city manager don’t see that it’s their job to reach out to their constituency — not just the meager 6,000 to 8,000 voters out of 30,000 potential voters.
The editorial board brushes aside issues like: councilmen not paying taxes, the city manager not living in Richland (as required), zoning that destroys our few natural assets (Little Badger), incorporating large areas and accepting plat plans without funds to provide adequate infrastructure, no low-income housing starts, $18 million city hall obtained by using a bond, and demanding — unnecessarily — a road across a wildlife preserve.
Last, the board’s condescending dismissal of Rhoda Williams as the best candidate shows you haven’t dug deep enough!
Robert and Suzi Benedetti, Richland
This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Letter: Current council has failed Richland residents."