Letter: Response to Leary letter

Letter: Response to Leary “letter”

(Name withheld by request)
St Augustine, FL

“To: editor of Saint Augustine Record, Historic City News, and citizens of Saint Augustine”

I am an employee of the City of St. Augustine wishing to remain anonymous.

As an employee of the City of St. Augustine, I am living the waste of taxpayer money on this contrived “450th Celebration” and other projects.

Having spent the majority of my working life in the private sector, I realize when times are economically tough; we all must sacrifice a little in order to move us back to economic prosperity.

The employees of the City have not had a cost of living increase in two years. We are making sacrifices, yet our downtown leaders continue to spend irresponsibly.

In addition to the waste of the “450th”, typically each year the City replaces six police vehicles with six new police vehicles, this year the City has purchased nine new police vehicles.

Many of the police vehicles being replaced are low mileage.

The City has recently purchased a 90K bucket truck, two new Nissan Frontier trucks (on 8/21/2012) and, at the beginning of the City’s new fiscal year, we are to purchase an “extremely nice” Tahoe for the City Manager.

As we reach the end of our fiscal year, any department with excess funds has been instructed to spend, spend, spend.

Is this responsible spending anytime, especially during tough economic times?

We as employees of the City are repeatedly told the City doesn’t have the money.

Finally, to the citizens of St. Augustine, I personally have not spoken to any City employee that is in favor of this contrived “450th Celebration” this is driven by upper management and above.