Editor, Ceres Courier,

I was quite dismayed to the contents of the August 11 Courier relative to budget cuts recommended by the city manager and approved by the council. Surprisingly, Councilperson Silveira offered an alternative solution supported by Mayor Lopez to the city manager’s proposed cuts. Unfortunately, that did not pass muster. I applaud Councilperson Silveira and the Mayor for thinking outside the box the city seems to be trapped in.

It seems to me that every councilmember should be an independent thinker and look for various alternatives to issues concerning the city as a whole. I, for one, would have suggested hiring two part-time code enforcers to work on the most deplorable sites in the city to raise them to our standards based on current ordinances. Part-time employees would, of course, save the city money because no benefits are being paid yet the work is getting done. Then, as funding is realized, let the full-time hiring begin. The same goes for park maintenance employees.

The bottom line is if you want the city to be attractive to the casual visitor or traveler, do something about it. At some point this City Council must come together to work as a team to ensure the city produces the expectations its residents are entitled to enjoy. We are currently in a very viable construction phase, please don’t, if I may, screw it up.

Louie Arrollo,

Hughson

(Former Ceres Mayor)

LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the editor will be considered for publication but must be signed and include an address and phone number. Letters should be 250 words or less and be void of libel. Send to The Ceres Courier, 138 S. Center Street, Turlock CA 95380 or emailed to jeffb@cerescourier.com.