Stewart not good steward of tax dollars
To the editor:
In response to the Breeze Editorial 8/22/09, “Stewart good choice for county manager”, not often have I seen you so far off base. What are you folks thinking over there?
OK, you did one eloquent job of citing his credentials, in-depth knowledge of local issues and how his learning curve would be virtually nil. But more specifically, how has he performed as City Manager? Is he leaving on a good note? Why is he leaving?
Consider $110 million Taj Mahal, the U.E.P., the C.R.A., an ever-burgeoning city budget, all this and more under Mr. Stewart’s watch. Oh sure, I know he’s not solely responsible, the Council has the final say, but he has consistently brought the message to them and holds sway on most of them. He has a voracious appetite for spending, then taxing. Witness the latest outrageous millage increase in the Cape.
Mr. Stewart is very smooth and good at dodging bullets but the bottom line is the buck is supposed to stop with him. It did not. Just last week Lehigh announced the termination of 39 firefighters, other local communities have made substantial employee and other cuts. Under Mr. Stewart’s watch, what happens – spending.
Good financial stewardship of the peoples’ money (taxes) is measured by how it’s spent during bust as well as during boom, irrespective of one’s own agenda, his staff, or others who have his ear. This clearly is not the case with Mr. Stewart.
This is what we should have in a new county manager. One with credentials, OK, but also one with clearly transparent and prudent spending policies that demonstrate fiscal responsibility and reasonableness with the peoples’ money.
Harry Campbell
Cape Coral