On the June 17 front page of The Columbian I find a story “Vancouver costs are outpacing revenues” of how the city of Vancouver is on track to be at a $10.2 million deficit by 2020 and how the city needs to stick its hand deeper in my pocket, possibly through an annual 1 percent property tax increase every year and a 2.5 percent increase in our sewer, water, and stormwater rates to meet this deficit.
Then on the June 18 front page I read “Vancouver gives city manager 17% raise ” (nearly $30,000 a year) because City Manager Eric Holmes is behind in compensation of other agencies’ employees in a similar job description. Color me stupid for asking, but just because Holmes is behind others is that reason to assume he’s as qualified as the others to receive such an outrageous bump in pay? After the Vancouver City Council vote on the raise, Councilor Bill Turlay said, “You’ll have to make that work in the budget, you know.” Well, at least we know how that money taken out of taxpayers’ pockets is being spent.
Patrick McManus
Vancouver
