Letter: Does South Lake Tahoe have a fiscal policy?

To the community,

Spending, borrowing, taxing. The fiscal policies and practices of the city are a jumble. The city has a large debt. It claims to have a large deficit. It has laid off several city employees to cut costs.

But the City Council is prepared to gamble thousands of dollars on parking meters. The council assumes meters are the answer for increasing city revenue. Where is the money for buying and installing the meters?

Bill Crawford

And the council will spend thousands on hiring headhunters to recruit candidates to fill city staff positions, which is another roll of the dice. Headhunters are not necessarily successful at providing good candidates for the city. Examples: I think of David Childs and Tony O’Rourke who were supposed to be the cat’s meow, topnotch city managers. Both resigned after two years. The city doesn’t have to send money for headhunters to recruit candidates.

And how much money has been spent on the contract for provide management of the city ice rink? Where is the accounting? Is the deal paying off for the city? A Bud anyone? The city’s working on it.

Fiscal policy. Spending, borrowing, taxing. That is the question. What is the answer?

Bill Crawford, South Lake Tahoe