Question from Anonymous

What are your thoughts on open government and encouraging citizen participation in the local government decision making process?

Ian Ward answered:

Thank you for your question. We have not ever been in a more desperate position than we currently are in regard to our city government’s decision making process. When any issue approved unanimously is then overturned unanimously within a matter of weeks, we have a problem. Either our leaders failed to do their homework and knew nothing about the issue but voted on it anyway, or they had no idea the way our citizens felt but voted on it anyway, or both. Either way, this cannot be tolerated. Do we trust these leaders with issues related to the safety of our families? In the last 2 years alone we have watched one debacle after another; 911 consolidation, police salaries, fire salaries, alcohol sales, road and sidewalk maintenance, not to mention paradise cove and camp catalpa. And when did we as a community find out about the now infamous Lake View park? After a bid on the excavation and construction had been awarded with no competition. How’s that for transparency? Clear as mud.

www.ianward.org