Letter: Residents should attend budget meeting

The public hearing on the 2008-09 budget is planned for 7 p.m. June 9, and this is my call, especially for the retired citizens paying taxes in Havelock, to attend.

We need to be heard. How many of us have lived here for years and heard the commissioners complain about the dire need for money to run the city?

The city has decided that good kids play ball, and therefore, we now pour thousands of dollars every year into the ballpark, and the latest is planned lighting at the price of $20,000.

Now, before school is closed for summer, sunset is around 8 p.m., and the children should be doing homework and going to bed after "family time," as all the family does not play ball. The weekends are for playing ball.

Personally, I ask how many taxpaying families have a son or daughter playing ball?

How much do the military families contribute in dollars to the ballpark?

What do the taxes offer the children who do not play ball?

We retired, handicapped and low-income residents are forced to pay increased taxes, and they go up and up because city expenses need to be harnessed and soon.

"Leave no child behind" is the cry of the United States, but in Havelock, if a child does not play ball, he or she is forgotten by our commissioners when they spread our tax dollars.

This alone is one reason to get a new board where the members do not wear blinders and spend money we do not have and forever consider other things like bird-watching paths.

We must be heard by going to this June 9 meeting and reminding the board that we elected them to run our city and we are the ones paying.

Inga DeRoche
Havelock