OPINION: Saline needs to keep its police dispatching in the city
All of Saline needs to be very concerned with the possibility of outsourcing of Saline Police Dispatching. You may have never had the need to contact the Saline Police Department in the past, (nor did I until the last six months) but when you do (and you will eventually), you will be very grateful to experience the extremely high level of service our dispatchers provide.
The dispatchers, patrol officers, and detectives are a very effective unit. They know the city. They know the current issues on our streets and respond expediently and effectively. They should not be separated as this will disrupt that unit and negatively impact the level of service that our tax dollars pay for. This is a serious public safety issue! All Saline citizens need to speak up and let the mayor and city council know.
Mayor Driskell and most of Saline City Council, consistently keep issues affecting the citizens of Saline under wraps. Per the City Charter, council is given way too much power to pass many things without making much or any effort in communicating to the taxpayers as to what they are doing.
Saline city government is in drastic need of change. Mayor Driskell says that the state is pushing them to cut costs by combining services but city government via council approval, continues to spend taxpayer dollars irresponsibly.
Some examples… City car fleet that is overgrown and supplies unnecessary access of city owned cars to city employees. Salary levels of many city employees that are way out of line considering the current economy. Frivolous funding of the Celtic Festival that rarely turns a profit, and guess what ... the men in the kilts from the Celtic Festival are not going to come and help when your car or home is vandalized. City engineering and building department could also be easily outsourced without any visible inconvenience to Saline taxpayers and most likely provide a significant annual savings of tax dollars.
Continued spending without taxpayers’ option to vote needs to be stopped.
The root of most of this is the apathy of way too many of Saline citizens, voters, and taxpayers to get involved and speak their mind. The mayor and City Council need to hear from the citizens and stop conducting city business under the cloak of the current City Charter guidelines. Wake up Saline and send an email or letter of concern to the mayor and City Council.
And, when upcoming elections occur, be informed then vote. Stop the apathy, as we can no longer afford to expect that we are a geographical exception to the transition of demographics in our once safe, sleepy little town.
Toby Crotty
Saline
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