To the Editor:

With inflation so high and projected to go higher, how can our city try to raise taxes on a “want”? A swimming pool is not a “need.”

I was at the city council meeting when Heather Rookstool brought up the possibility of constructing the pool for the cost of the $2 million grant the city received. She was verbally abused by Shannon Adair and Dave Holland, also a woman from the audience. Neither the mayor, Ron Lundbom, nor the new city manager, Corum Ketchum, intervened to stop the verbal abuse. Council members Dave Holland and Elliot Sky then told Heather Rookstool — in front of everyone at the meeting — “You don’t give the people a choice, it only causes problems.”

I have a city issue I want to discuss with Dave Holland. I have emailed him several times over, and he will not respond. It is his responsibility to listen to the concerns of the citizens of John Day. I urge everyone to vote in new council members so the people can have a voice. We need council members to “give the people a choice” and we need members to listen to and respond to citizens’ concerns instead of ignoring them.

Please vote for Heather Rookstool for mayor and Ronald “Ron” Phillips, Sherrie Rininger and Richard “Richie” Colbeth for city council members. Take back our city from those turning us into a version of little Portland by defunding and demolishing our police department while simultaneously moving a pot shop into the city limits and now not putting the psilocybin ban on the John Day ballot. Prairie City and the county have both approved this measure to appear on this year’s ballot. Why didn’t John Day?

John Meiling

John Day