During our May 2017 election which saw a number of Port Arthur City Council district seats up for grabs, a handful of candidates ran on the platform of correcting and/or eliminating unneeded spending some felt has plagued the City of Port Arthur for a very long time.
A number of those candidates won their races and ultimately took their place on council. However, a majority has emerged that, since June, has already voted on city decisions that may have spent over $180,000 in unneeded funds.
On Tuesday, Aug. 29, during the regularly PACC meeting, council members look poised to make another decision to spend $30,000 of tax payer monies on a radio station. This is a non-profit station that many of them receive free airtime from. If approved, this expense will increase their first three months of needless spending to $210,000 of taxpayer monies. This is your money.
All media have their place in a community, even those in need of financial help, to a degree. But when citizens continue to be frustrated over long-term issues that need tax dollars to fix for the whole of the community, its seems absurd to hand out $30,000 such as this. In trade I would expect the city to continue to receive free airtime for councilmen, city manager, police chief or anyone else. However, implementing internal social media programs at the city would do much more than time on a 100-watt radio station, and for free.
Where does this stop? Does it then become a form of a “business plan” for other struggling businesses? Because ultimately, if passed, if others start lining up requesting the same, the council would have to vote in favor of all businesses or possibly face accusations of bias. This would then cost the city even more money, either way.
This $30,000, along with the additional $180,000, could have gone a long way in correcting items promised during the May campaign season. Items such as streets, Rose Hill Manor, community swimming pools, water drainage issues throughout Port Acres and Port Arthur, to name just a few issues, could have been fixed.
Additionally, $30,000 can be one city employee’s salary for a year. Or it could have allowed the city to purchase new grass mowers, weed trimmers, repair playground equipment, or purchase another city vehicle. The list goes on and on of needs that have more importance to the community than supporting a radio station.
Decisions like these should make citizens question their reason and intent. Are these decisions made for the city and its citizens or for personal gain? Decisions using taxpayer dollars should be made with the best intentions for the city as a whole. Not based on whether a councilperson likes this person, or does not like that person. Because this is exactly what it’s beginning to look like. And that, my friends, is very wrong!

Rich Macke is publisher of The Port Arthur News. Contact him at rich.macke@panews.com.