It’s apparent from recent letters to the editor there are strong opinions on how city taxes are being allocated and questions of spending priorities and debt. Everyone understands the deplorable condition of our neighborhood streets. We face them daily.

Though the council has gone into significant debt to finance a number of relatively non-utilitarian projects, they ignore the most glaring deficiencies that impact all our neighborhoods, like our deteriorating critical transportation infrastructure, which becomes much more expensive to repair or replace, not to mention being a public safety hazard. Those should be funding priorities if we hope to dig our way out of the current mess.

The council response, “We don’t have the money” rings hollow given the cost of recent “feel-good” projects that have plunged us into debt!

Analysis of my utility bill in the five years from 2014 to 2019 shows that taxes and surcharges increased from 29% of my total bill in 2014 to 57% in 2019. I am straining to imagine any other product or service that has a 57% tax/surcharge added. Yet we have virtually no storm drainage (curbs, gutters, ditches, culverts) which is the principal reason our streets are so badly deteriorated. Something is out of whack.

Bottom line for me is the need for change at the top, where our priorities are set. I urge my fellow voters to join me in electing Monica Mick-Hager, who is committed to that change. As a city planning commissioner for a decade, Monica understands these issues. She has chosen to run for the council and has committed herself to doorbelling across the community to find out from each of us what our community priorities should be.

Larry Dennison
Port Townsend