Letters to the editor for August 29, 2008

Council needs more legal advice

To the editor:

Baker City residents should be outraged by the operation of their city government during the city council meeting last Tuesday evening. Time was wasted and city dollars squandered for contracted legal advice so city management could prove veracity on an issue created, perpetuated, “reportedly” embellished and retracted, all by city hall itself.

Our fair city and citizens had nothing to do with this latest farce, so why waste any more city time and resources on the issue? If one wishes to proclaim their veracity, write a letter to the editor or take out space in the newspaper.

The first thing Baker City Council can do to regain their purpose and sense of direction as representatives of the citizens would be to insist upon the reinstatement of the city attorney staff position. City council needs a legal reference source at every city council meeting to better understand the sometimes complicated business of the city and to make informed decisions.

Before the elimination of the city attorney position, past city councils relied constantly upon legal advice from the city attorney at every meeting. Without ready access to legal advice at every city council meeting, the council is operating in the dark, and often trying to catch hammers in the dark.