Support for incumbents Catallo, Sabol

Dear Editor,
Clarkston is a unique and beautiful place we proudly call home.
Our combination of historic and contemporary neighborhoods, thriving business district, and the many events, activities and milestones that take place in our well-beloved Depot Park are the reasons people want to live, work and visit here.
We ask ourselves. “How can the same handful of voices consistently and loudly complain about everything regarding the City of the Village of Clarkston?”
Look around. Home values are on the rise. People want to live here. Houses sell quickly.
New residents are excited to call Clarkston home, and they want to contribute to and benefit from our community.
Why do a few residents choose to disrupt City Council meetings; demean this exceptional place; unfairly imply improprieties by our public servants, elected officials and civic volunteers; falsely accuse City Council members of their intentions to raise taxes; and submit newspaper columns to polarize the community?
These are the voices distorting and misrepresenting the good intentions of those who currently and of those who would potentially serve this community.
Positive suggestions versus accusations and threats will ensure our movement forward as a unique and desirable community.
Protect your city and your investment by retaining the two council members with the experience and history necessary to preserve and protect the City of the Village of Clarkston, molded by caring and concerned residents for nearly 190 years.
Re-elect Sharron Catallo and Michael Sabol to City Council.
Frank Schoebel
Clarkston

Reflection of council actions for city

Dear Editor,
It is election time again which raises the age old question of whether to keep the “experienced” incumbents or throw the bums out. Let’s take a look at the local incumbents’ record on 10 items in Clarkston.
Almost $62,000 in costs were incurred by the city for the design of a Department of Public Works building addition even though they had no money to build it and only $23,000 was budgeted. They are now starting over and still have no money.
About $125,000 or more was spent on a bridge and path in Depot Park without any design, bid, contract or cost approvals as required by Charter and Ordinance.
The city manager said during budget approvals no more work was needed, no funds were allocated, and then they immediately did more work. It’s still not done.
About $54,000 had to be transferred out of the city reserves at the end of the last fiscal year to cover unbudgeted expenses. Now more than three months later, the council still refuses to discuss how this happened and why it won’t happen again.
The city’s fund reserves were decreased by a third last year and are now below the minimum set by the council. The reserves have been declining for several years. The council has not discussed what they are going to do about this even though they are required to come up with a plan. We were falsely told by the former city manager no sidewalk work was required and the council blindly allocated no funds to do it.
Now they have approved sidewalk work by taking money from everywhere else to pay for more unbudgeted expenses. I hope the work includes the missing sidewalk on Holcomb that has been gone for over a year. Planning, budgeting, efficiency and transparency seem to be foreign to our incumbent leaders.
The council members don’t ask about bills and payments when they are presented every month. There is no way to tell if they are budgeted or not short of asking, which they never do.
The city lost one case in court on Freedom of Information (FOIA) and Open Meeting Act (OMA) issues and is still in court on another where the city contends they do not have to show anyone what they are spending our tax dollars on as long as they say the information is not in the city offices.
One incumbent running for re-election is quoted as saying, “We don’t discuss things as a group and often it’s because of the audience.”
Wait, you don’t want to discuss city matters because city residents might actually hear you? We continue to pay the city attorney to defend city and council wrong doings instead of using that money to improve our city.
Meeting minutes, the official and legally binding record of city actions, are vague, incomplete, inaccurate, do not always record the vote of the council, are changed without council direction or approval and often contain numerous spelling errors. The council does nothing about it even when pointed out to them. Is this the experienced governance we want?
The council has allowed two new restaurants in town and several other businesses to expand without accounting for traffic and parking.
Business owners are complaining as are customers. The council members that caused the problem are now running for re-election. Two members of the city council and two members of the city council and Finance Committee did not know how the city’s tax millage was determined even though it was unanimously approved twice and implemented in the annual budget. They wanted to increase our taxes. They said reduced taxes were not in keeping with the “intent” of the city even though the unanimously approved resolution said it was the intent and they voted for it. Are these people you want to re-elect?
There are unfortunately many more issues. We must have new people in the City Hall to make positive changes as the incumbents are not doing the job we elected them to do and what is required by law and charter.
We will hopefully be getting a new city manager very soon but that will not do us any good if there is no one to establish policy and procedure, to make sure it is implemented correctly, and to oversee our city government on our behalf. Those now in office have not done that, shown no remorse for their actions and inactions, and given no indication of improving. The city cannot afford any more business as usual.
Cory Johnston
Clarkston

Event a success

Dear Editor,
We thank the following for their help in making our recent veterans’ benefits seminar a success:
American Legion Post #63, Clarkston for hosting the event, the Oakland County Veterans Administration for providing a speaker, and local businesses and media for assistance with announcing the event. Your help was truly appreciated.
The attendees learned about valuable benefits available for their service to our country.
For those who were not able to attend and would like to receive material provided at the seminar, please contact Wint Funeral Home at 248-625-5231 or email wintfuneralhome@gmail.com for a free informational packet.
Sincerely,
The staff at Wint Funeral Home