Maybe it’s time for our elected officials to take a “tour” of the city and county to see what kind of a presentation we are giving to tourists, potential new residents or businesses. The roads and streets are in disrepair and many are littered with debris or trash. The once attractive landscaped medians are now overgrown with weeds and litter. Areas along Interstate 205 are overgrown with dead grass and present fire hazards.
How can officials justify the lack of maintenance to these areas? If we can afford to give a $30,000 raise to a city manager; a $29,000 raise to an assistant city attorney; a $60,000 raise to a school superintendent; and a $68,000 position for an “assistant” to county commissioners, then why can’t we take care of basic maintenance?
Take a look at Evergreen High School on 136th Avenue, the U.S. Post Office in Orchards, and the median along the length of McGillivray Boulevard for examples. The weeds are so bad that it’s hard to see all the election posters.
Tom O’Neal
Vancouver
