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Letter to the Editor: Pool shouldn't get priority over the streets

Dear Editor,

I have seen the new swimming pool layout in the newspaper and would like to know who added all of the additions to it?

Two years ago, the voters went to the polls and passed a half-cent sales tax that was going to help pay for our deteriorating streets, golf course and swimming pool. The golf course has already spent their 12 percent, or $1.2 million-plus to upgrade the course. The streets are being worked on. The swimming pool was approved for 30 percent, or $3 million. Now, it’s up to $6.2 million. We are told that the costs have gone up.

If costs went up 10 percent, the cost would be $3.3 million. Now the cost is up to $6.2 million, so that would put the increase at 210 percent. My question is who approved all of these add-ons? At this rate, we can not afford a new pool.

The swimming pool is only open about three months out of the year. This last summer, it was open from the end of May to the middle of August – two and a half months.

So why does the golf course and the swimming pool get top priority and the streets do not? Why does the city keep spending money they don’t have and have not collected yet? Do they expect the taxpayers to keep paying more taxes?

They say we need all of these things to attract people to Sidney, but when they see what the taxes are, they leave. It seems like they want Sidney to be like a big city, which we are not. When Sidney grows and expands, then they can make improvements as needed – not all at once.

This is my opinion.

Jack Schilling

Sidney

 
 

Reader Comments(1)

Cbelle writes:

I agree why put that kind of money into something open only for 6 weeks a year. You could incorporate with the community center and have an indoor facility or new school and teach swimming lessons year round and have swim team practice and so much more! New doesn't bring the people necessary - we don't have shopping and that's a big part of why people leave and taxes

 
 
 
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