Editorial
In many ways, Mike Shurson has been a refreshing change as mayor of New Richland. He seems to care about the community, he runs the city council meetings efficiently, he asks questions, he seems like a genuinely nice guy, and his father served as mayor.
On Monday night, though, Shurson and the rest of the city council did something that was extremely disppointing and highly questionable.
The council voted that there is to be no further discussion about the police department when considering the city’s budget for 2020. The amount asked for by city clerk Wayne Billing — $306,883 — is the amount that will be approved. No questions. No discussion.
This is not the way a democracy is supposed to work. This is the mark of an authoritarian government, one which spends the people’s money, while allowing them no say whatsoever in how it’s spent. In America, and especially in small towns, we’re supposed to have a say.
Maybe the $306,883 budgeted for 2020 is totally justified. Maybe every penny of it is needed. Or maybe, just maybe, there’s a little fat that can be trimmed. The mayor and city council owe it to the taxpayers to at least find out.
JDL