Everybody's right in Electric City

Citizens in Electric City discussing the devil-containing details of park financing in Electric City are right to push the subject, on both sides of the discussion.

Councilmember Cate Slater is right when she says there is “not a lot of stuff” here to entice families to want to move here.

Ian Turner is right when he notes the population is getting younger and that should factor into decisions about how to develop the city.

Councilmember Brian Buche is right when he says that “has to be something that’s manageable.”

Wayne Fowler is right when he states that this community needs to “get together and work as a community.”

And Pat Welton is right to say it’s just wrong to use lodging taxes, intended for tourism boosting, to build a little park, even one with a mammoth-head slide.

Prior city councils, for decades, have seen robbing those tourism funds as easier than the legitimate course would be: getting taxpayers to say they want it and they’ll pay for it.

But doing that (Electric City has been hoarding those funds) has for many years now hurt further development in the city. Advertising the area’s already numerous attractions and filling up lodging would multiply those funds and increase development, jobs and the kinds of amenities we all want to see grow here.

It’s like having a golden goose and deciding to give its feed to the cat instead. You might get a fatter cat, but the goose certainly won’t thrive.

Electric City should have more features for young families. And local taxpayers should fund it.

Scott Hunter

editor and publisher