Letter: Questions about the sign fiasco

Published 6:15 am Thursday, August 17, 2023

To the Editor:

I have a few thoughts on the recent library sign fiasco. Who owns the land where the sign was put up? According to the Blue Mountain Eagle, it doesn’t sound like the county owns the land, so why was a sign put up saying that is where the new county library was to be built?

Nothing was ever mentioned about who put the library sign up. They put the sign up on land that was not theirs and without the county’s authority. Whoever put the sign up is just as much in the wrong as Ron Phillips and maybe more so.

To me it sounds like Ron was acting with the knowledge of the county court. He just didn’t tell the rest of the world that he was going to remove a sign that had been put up by somebody prematurely.

Who does the sign belong to? If it belongs to the city of John Day, why are they spending money on the county library? Or is the city building their own library without the vote of the people?

Why is the city of John Day spending money on a sign they can’t afford? The city can’t even afford to pay the county sheriff’s department for police protection. Every extra penny they can find should be going to the sheriff’s department for the police protection they give us.

I am tired of our city council acting like a bunch of spoiled children. It is time the council put their differences aside and start working together to get this city back on its feet. Then the city can start adding amenities as the city can afford them.

If the council continues to act as they have been, no potential city manager will want to come to our community. They will avoid our city like the plague.

Sandra Sutton

John Day