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To the Editor:

The residents of the city of John Day have responsible decisions to make regarding the future of the city.

Do we continue with the issues of the past or move forward?

The majority of the current elected and appointed council members and city manager have been moving the management of the city in a positive direction. They have had to deal with issues regarding the resignation of the city manager, no city manager, interim city managers, recall of mayor, council vacancies, staff vacancies, unfinished commitments, creative financial issues, etc. They are now moving forward thanks to the hiring of the new city manager and these newer elected and appointed council members.

The council consists of seven voluntary positions.

First, the mayor position still needs qualified applicants and appointment for the remainder of the current term. Any interest?

Second, there is another unnecessary and costly recall effort to recall three of the newer elected or appointed councilors. These councilors are providing positive and reasonable representation for all residents of the city.

Third, this November the other three councilor positions are up for election.

Just consider what the consequences will be if the recall is successful and what disruption may occur after the recall and November election. Will a potentially new council be able to function effectively? Come decision time on the recall effort and the November election, we all must obtain the facts before voting.

Don’t just vote based on familiarity with someone’s name or how long someone has been involved with the council, etc. Consider what they have or will be able to contribute as our representative. It may be time in November to elect new volunteers and/or newer members to our community to the city council.

Remember, very few people are willing to step up for these voluntary positions and represent all residents. It is time for all to step up and be responsible and demonstrate your support for those positively representing us by voting “no” on the unnecessary recall effort and voting responsibly during November’s election.

Louis E. Provencher

John Day