High Point Deserves Honest Councilmembers
Dear Editor,
For too many years, the High Point City Council has lied to and misled taxpayers by routinely failing to tell the whole truth about expenses and making “questionable” decisions.
The council said the voter rejected stadium would cost $35 million but failed to mention the $15 million in interest and the total cost would exceed $70 million. The new $18 million police headquarters actually cost $27 million including interest and extras. The $40 million voter approved Parks and Rec bonds will cost almost $50 million including interest. Council now wants to build a new $70 million city hall that will cost more than $92 million including interest. The council recently tore down the clock tower by the library that cost $146,000 to build just six years ago that didn’t work, could not be fixed and was rusting. The council tried to use eminent domain to illegally seize private property for a developer. One High Point hired consultant told the council it needs to spend $40 million on new parking garages while another consultant said the city may need to raise the real estate tax rate to fund $120 million of new spending. The council bragged about having the highest paid city manager in the area only to fire him a year later and give him a golden parachute.
When the Guilford County commissioners raised their pay by 50 percent, High Point council raised their salaries by 88 percent. After misusing a $1.8 million federal grant and failing to repay it, the feds declared it a bad debt and turned to the US Treasury for collection. After voters overwhelmingly rejected a referendum to change term lengths from two to four years, it took just five councilmembers to override the voice of 100,000+ voters and change their terms to four years. These are just a few of the many examples of financial mismanagement and “questionable” decisions by the City Council.
We need honest councilmembers who tell the whole truth, and listen to and respect taxpayers. Learn what candidates actually believe, not just their campaign talking points. Choose wisely. Vote for honest councilmembers.
Ken Orms
I agree with the statements of Ken Orms.
The High Point city council is being run by very deceptive and manipulating members, who are doing nothing less than lying to the citizens, mis-spending taxpayer and federal government grant money. They seem to have the mindset that they are not accountable, and no one should question their underhanded shenanigans. How long before the citizens put an end to this madness?
Robert H.
Name something our govt does well..
Screw over the people they are supposed to be working for.
Be extremely happy you aren’t under rule by Greensboro City Council. You guys are fly weights compared to what we got.
Ken, I bet your letter would be censored in the High Pointt Enterprise. In Orwell’s America, only fringe media allow the truth.