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A MESSAGE AND THANK YOU TO THE GREENWOOD CITIZENS
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A MESSAGE AND THANK YOU TO THE GREENWOOD CITIZENS
April 3, 2010
By Sara Ring
It has been most rewarding to serve the citizens of the City of Greenwood, for six years of which it was both a pleasure and my honor to represent you. I thank you for your trust and faith in supporting me during these past years.
My foremost concern was and is - HONESTY. I only made one promise in six years: that was to always do the right things for the right reasons! Making right decisions was often a tough task in many situations, however, the decisions were made after strong considerations of what the right thing was for the people who had faith in me and trusted me to do the right thing for the betterment of their community. As your public servant, I tried to never let you down!
With the promise of doing the right things for the right reasons, came my intent of being conservative with your money. Memories will never fade of my duties as City Clerk, when funds were always limited. Often, a deposit was required in order to meet the payroll of only two full time employees. There were never any extras as there was never any extra money. The citizens approved a 1 percent sales tax which became effective February 1979. Then allowing for a few extras, on July 1, 1986, a one-half percent “For Transportation Purposes” sales tax, which the citizens had approved, became effective. Slowly the City was gaining in fund balances and over the years, the City’s finances grew and improved.
When I decided to run for election to the City of Greenwood Council, I did so with the intent to help guide the City in future expansion, update the city code and improve the economic base of the City. Before filing for office, I watched the administration and finances of the City for several years. During this time, the City was financially stable - not rich, but stable. While there was room for improvement, the City was being managed. But not to the satisfaction of all of the residents and so the State Auditor’s Office performed a petition audit for the year ending June 30, 2002. While this was costly, it proved to benefit the City, bringing to light many needed changes. I used that audit report as part of my campaign platform and to my knowledge, many changes were implemented and it appeared the City was moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, things changed. Personal agendas became the focus of some of our elected officials and not the betterment of our community and the lawsuit with the quarry was born. I voted against the ordinance that started the lawsuit and voiced my opinion against this lawsuit and other spending numerous times. There were alternatives to the lawsuit with the quarry. Several suggestions were made to the council but personal opinions and agendas prevailed.
Any compromise would have been better than spending millions of citizens dollars in legal fees that have currently been billed by the city’s litigation attorney. The legal expenses are not over yet since the quarry has said they would fight this all the way to the Supreme Court, which will likely cost millions more. And just because one judge sided with the City and made a multi-million dollar award, does not mean the next judge will. Those legal fees have completely drained the City’s Transportation Fund, the General Fund, as well as borrowed monies from the rest of the City’s funds. The result of this unconscionable spending is that the City does not have the money to fix its streets, much less, pay its bills. In other words, the City is broke and on the verge of bankruptcy. I wish I could say I have enjoyed every moment of my time as Alderman, but I cannot considering the rudeness, harassment and threats made against me. I have also witnessed this disrespectful treatment boldly dispensed to the general public, many of the City’s residents and businesses owners, by other elected officials and their spouses.
Originally, I supported Rich DeCourcey’s run for Mayor, thinking that nothing could be worse than the unabashed spending that was occurring at that time. But I was wrong and owe the citizens an apology for that support. Mayor DeCourcey has made decisions without the knowledge of other elected
officials, failed to communicate in any fashion with other elected officials, reversed actions which had previously been approved by the majority of elected officials, ignored/skirted city codes and state statutes. He has allowed his position to be used as an information source for relatives and others to harass and target citizens that were deemed to be “not in line with his agendas and opinions”. This is evident in the council meetings when citizens’s comments were censured or the citizens themselves were escorted from the meetings by the police. Confidential information from executive sessions was dispensed on numerous occasions and used improperly. Truly, is this any different from Hitler’s conduct during his rein of power?
Accountability has been a missing staple in that some members of the governing board were kept in the dark for months at a time about issues of major importance. Routine monitoring of the budget was not addressed as to how your money was actually being spent. The simplest administrative management practices on a daily basis were not implemented, leading the City into our current financial crises. Seldom was any attempt made toward reaching the highest levels of excellence.
Recently, I came across a most interesting word: Comeuppance. The dictionary states ‘a deserved rebuke or chastisement’. My interpretation would be “what goes around, comes around”. Another analogy could be, ‘if you plant an apple seed, you’ll get an apple tree. If you plant a poison ivy seed, you’ll get poison ivy.’
As citizens, we have the responsibility to question the actions of our elected officials, inform them of our wishes and concerns, and hold them accountable for their actions. It is our right to be told the truth and expect that our elected officials to carry out their duties in a competent and professional manner. I have always held myself accountable for my actions as an alderman in the same manner that I would as a citizen. I was advised to resign from the council several times, but felt that I could still be effective. As I prefer to live a more relaxed life style, I have chosen not run for re-election, partially due to the harassment and threats I’ve received.
I wish the best for the City and its residents. It is time to think positive thoughts, time to be hopeful, time to believe. Know that I pray for this and a bright, solid future for our citizens.
Sara Ring
Greenwood, MO
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