To the Editor:

I remember my mother using this clever little phrase years ago, when I was a kid. I spent hours processing this little phrase and putting it into context, not knowing how relevant it would be now. Now, like most of us who live in this community and Grant County, I have been watching the “John Day experiment” for the last six years.

Not knowing the intricate workings of city government, and having little more than a high school education, I have come to my own conclusion as to how a city like John Day works.

You have a city council and mayor who are elected by the citizens whose trust and respect they have earned over time. I respect anyone who will put themselves out there for election or rejection.

Then you have a city manager who is hired based on an interview. The problem is that the position of city manager, in general, is ripe for the wrong type of individual.

It seems that the job description is very vague. This person takes on no personal risk and there seems to be little or no accountability or supervision. The citizens give an inch, the CM takes a mile.

This community has never been more divided. I believe there is always a common denominator when so many things go haywire at the same time. The broken relationships, the failed projects, the tarnished reputations, the hate and discontent, and the distrust between so many can be traced back, in one way or another, to one individual in this community.

John Day was built by givers, not takers. I would hope those choosing the next city manager will find a giver. Someone who engages with, and who can find a way to be respected by, the people of this community.

I also think it is imperative that every city employee know who the boss is. There has to be someone clearly in charge. Maybe we need a “director of common sense.”

We can fix our piece of paradise. The best is yet to come!

Bruce Ward

Mt. Vernon