More Simple Math
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008It seems cut and dried to me. You shouldn’t discuss or vote on any issue that could potentially benefit your business. I just don’t get how some people don’t see it. It may be legal but it sure ain’t pretty. Case in point: At the last Council meeting we voted on an agenda item involving the intent to issue $14,000,000 in Certificates of Obligation. Click here to see a PDF of the agenda item. Notice the large road and rail projects in the description. Of the $14 million, $10.4 million will go towards those projects. How is it kosher to vote for this item if you are a councilmember with a construction company that will be bidding on these projects. Click here to view the minutes from the meeting on this particular item and you will see that Councilmember Schneider did just that. By seconding the motion and then voting in the affirmative he helped to assure himself of more construction projects to bid on.
So here’s the simple equation:
Tax dollars + more road projects = more opportunity
To be clear, the proposed projects are important — which is why I voted for the item. I just think it’s unfortunate that we are continually functioning in this legal yet gray zone that calls into question the integrity of the Council as a whole.