Letter: Outrageous claims demonstrably false

Published 6:15 am Thursday, August 3, 2023

To the Editor:

Tom Olson wrote a letter to the editor (“Green’s Schemes Come Home to Roost,” July 26, 2023) alleging that John Day “nearly went bankrupt this fiscal cycle due to ‘creative financing’ that failed.”

The problem with publishing something that stupid is that it’s demonstrably false. Table 1 of the audited financial statements for the last fiscal year shows that John Day’s net position (financial net worth) increased from $10.6 million to $12.9 million last year — a $2.3 million (20%) increase to John Day’s bottom line year over year. John Day has never defaulted on its debt — not even close.

The city’s long-term debt decreased last year because they paid it down on schedule like they did every year I was city manager.

Mr. Olson also claimed “the police were dissolved so that the former city manager could pay himself even more money as a ‘consultant’ at everyone else’s expense.”

First of all, the police were dissolved because the budget committee (which Mr. Olson was a member of) voted against funding the police department. I presented two budgets, one with police and one without. Both budgets were balanced. A committee of an equal number of residents and city council members opted out of funding the police department because it was (and still is) financially unsustainable for a city of 1,600 residents to operate a police department.

Second of all, I didn’t pay myself. I never have, and I never could. The decision about who to pay (and how much) for my services resided with the city council, which approved my contract in a public meeting in June 2022 through the same process as every other company they hired to assist during the management transition. And when the council changed last fall, I canceled my contract so they could work with other firms, to whom the current council is paying far more money for the same services.

When you say things that are untrue, Tom, that makes you a liar. Does that also make you laugh out loud?

Nick Green

John Day