Finding direction

inmaricopa.com runs, on a regular basis, opinion pieces submitted by community members. The following article is the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of inmaricopa.com.

On many occasions, citizens have expressed to our City Council the importance of being fiscally conservative, on deciding whether something is a “need” or a “want.” Recently, at a council meeting, I made reference to the city obligating itself to writing checks today that it may not have the funds to cover tomorrow.

As a result of the city’s moving full steam ahead, as if we’d be at 100,000 residents by 2010, it has left itself in a difficult financial situation. This is not to say that fiscal challenges weren’t going to present themselves, but I fully expected city management to have a vision on where the city was going, and to take into account the many variables that affect the city’s fiscal health. To my disappointment, this did not happen, and it’s had a negative effect on city staff in the form of layoffs.

Just like many of us, I, too, am familiar with understanding that layoffs are sometimes necessary; however, I’m left with many questions. Could all city employees have had a general wage reduction? Could there have been a reduction in the portion of the benefits the city covers for staff? Could there have been any combination of several options that could have resulted in saving these positions? The city has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants and to what benefit? Could these funds have saved jobs or community programs from being cut? I can’t stress enough to council the importance of moving forward with the new Teen Center.

In reading council agendas, I think to myself, if it’s not a “need,” and it’s an obvious “want,” and considering the current economy, then why is it even on the agenda? Ultimately, it comes down to the decisions that council makes, but do the agenda items that council is asked to make a decision on always appropriately reflect where the city should have its priorities? Not lately. Is openness and transparency providing the public an opportunity to take part or comment on the bad choices presented to them, or is it the opportunity for the public to make known the decisions they feel should be the priority? I’m confused about who’s really in control of the direction of Maricopa.

We’re all aware that voters elected three new council-members in the last election, but the change they offer can’t become a reality until their vision is shared amongst a majority vote in council meetings. Three votes in seven can’t make a majority and, until a majority for change can be attained, the city will operate under the perception of the “good old boy” club. Fact is, our newest council members can’t make the necessary change for this city alone; they need help, and it has to come from us. We, as citizens, need to be involved and engaged.

Carl Diedrich, Marquisha Griffin and Marvin Brown, were elected as a sign of intended change. Fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability were the intended result. I’m with them in the spirit of the necessary changes they campaigned upon, but we must also keep in mind that some of what they inherited was the result of decisions made by the previous council.

Hope and change doesn’t come from government. It’s up to each of us to take control of our own sense of hope and change, and as long as we continue to exude an overabundance of trust in, or apathy toward, our local government, the self-serving interests of a few will overshadow the real and genuine needs of the many. If there’s one thing we can do, it’s to agree to disagree. The situation the city finds itself in now was brought on by its lack of effective leadership, not its rank and file staff. The staff at city hall are a hard working group of people who follow direction just as we all do in the course of performing our jobs. Could the severity of the city’s current situation have been minimized by more appropriate forward thinking decisions? You bet.

Sound ethics, telling the community why the glass is half empty just as much as you want to tell them why it’s half full, respecting the intelligence of your constituents and practicing some basic kitchen table economics is what Maricopa needs. The time of half truths must come to an end. This next election cycle, which is rapidly approaching, please join me in bringing these expectations to the voting booth.

Alan Marchione

Alan Marchione is a former-U.S. Marine, father, and active member of his community. He is Vice-President of the Villages at Rancho El Dorado Homeowners Association Board of Directors, a member of the Maricopa Republican Club and a graduate of the city’s first Citizen’s Leadership Academy.

Submitted photo

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