Letters to the Editor

To the editor, If you were present at last Thursday’s MV Council meeting and had a say in the matter, would you have voted for a $20,000 (22%) raise for one of your city employees (City Manager)? Three of your councilors think you would have. You see, we all work for you, the citizens of Monte Vista. And two of us considered this outlandish action in the light of the current distress was a slap in the face to who we work for and who actually pay the bills around here. That’s you. Our management and staff all do a good job. But let me give you a little background. Their justification for this overreach is based on a wage study done in 2018. Well, things have changed just a little since those days. Businesses are closing, jobs are disappearing, we’re all told to be obedient, stay home and “quit complaining”. Meanwhile three of your representatives have voted your city manager to be the highest paid civic official in the entire valley. Actually, tied with or very close to the same position in Alamosa; a city twice our size. Want to know another reason we’re catching up with our neighboring town? Their management opted to pass on recent wage increases due to the current pandemic and economic challenges. So, what can you do about it? Remember you are the boss. And just to make sure you can exercise that right, we as a democratic republic have a thing called a “referendum”. That means that you have a direct say in how your town is run. That’s right. You don’t have to just accept what your elected officials do with your money. Just sign the petition that’s going around so that you can vote and decide if this was the right thing to do or not. And be aware that those who don’t want your input will be writing in this column to convince you to waive that right. But don’t do it. Your signature simply gives you the right to choose; the right to have a say in what is done with your money. And feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or maybe would like a petition to have your friends sign. 719.852,6168. Gary Johnson Monte Vista