Snellville Mayor Pro-Tem Barbara Bender said she couldn't look the citizens in the eye and say "trust me!" - because that money had strings attached.
Although initially, Snellville hoped to use the money to create a "downtown experience," [see Gwinnett Daily Post, September 21, 2010.] The money would have to be repaid and bonds sold in a short period of time. It was too much of a quick decision the city would have to make in how to wisely use the money - to accept that money without a plan ahead of time would be a risk. Of course, the money is very tempting, but there are too many unknowns to place a possible burden on the citizens of Snellville.
We are really lucky to have Barbara Bender. She is a very wise woman and is dedicated to making the hard decisions that we might not always be popular, but are in the best interest of the people of Snellville.
I'm glad to hear that the city council decided to pass on the $6.6 million bond issue. I think Ms Bender again proved what a valuable asset she is to the city. She and Tom Witts have made a tremendous difference in Snellville and I fully agree with your comment that Snellville is really lucky to have her.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Kelly Kautz, she truly puts the people of Snellville first. I found it really hard to believe when a friend of mine told me that Kautz babbled on about wearing a t-shirt because she lost a bet that had nothing to do with the city.