To the Editor:

The Eagle recently wrote that Grant County plans to ask the city of John Day for more law enforcement funding.

No mention of asking Canyon City or Mt. Vernon for funding, as the council asked — just John Day.

As a John Day taxpayer, I support our local sheriff, but I won’t pay twice for this service, while the other cities and county residents only pay once. If John Day needs to pay extra, so do all the other cities and county residents.

I also have issues with a county court that denies us road funding when we ask for it (by a vote of 3-0 against Fourth Avenue funding) but then shows up hat in hand, asking for money to pay for their emergency needs

The county doesn’t have money for law enforcement because we’re shrinking. And we’re shrinking because the county stopped spending money on new roads and instead stuffed it all under their mattress.

Anyone can drive on John Day’s streets (and most do) to get to the hospital, the airport, Seventh Street Complex and the Forest Service buildings. These roads aren’t just John Day’s roads.

Everyone in the county uses them. But the county sits on over $50 million instead of using that money for street repairs.

Now they want to drain John Day’s general fund to cover additional law enforcement costs while the other cities get a pass.

I want the county to show us proof that we’re less safe now than we were before John Day’s police department closed. I also think that when the county is ready to contribute to John Day’s roads, we should discuss law enforcement cost-sharing. Until then, they need to see to their budget needs, maybe with that $50 million they’re sitting on, and we will see to ours.

Lisa Holland

John Day