'City of Libby' is nothing more than an oxymoron

Letter to the Editor,

During a recent upset in the Libby City Council concerning a member possibly residing outside the City limits, it occurred to me that the city of Libby is an oxymoron. Many persons living outside the city limits own rental homes, businesses or must work inside the city limits.

Those persons do not get the privilege of voting for persons or issues concerning the city, but still must abide by the rules. Many people living outside the city limits are forced to purchase city water, but do not have the right to vote for city issues.

While I see that it might be somewhat important that a person on the city council should live in the city limits, you’re talking about a couple blocks. Apparently, it is OK to have two council members who work for the county, one of whom works closely with the former mayor. To me, that seems just as prohibitive as a council member that possibly lives a couple blocks out of the city limits.

What seems more important is everyone working together for the good of the community. In an area as economically challenged as we are, with more businesses closing every day, wouldn’t the financial and emotional energy be much better spent on making Libby and the outlying area a place people want to live in?

Here is a way Libby could increase income with very little effort:

A policy that never seemed to make any financial sense to those of us who own businesses is the failure to shut off the water supply when someone does not pay their bill in a timely fashion.

Apparently, the reason being is that it is too expensive to do that, or there are not enough employees to make collection attempts. I have to wonder, how many huge outstanding water bills have gone uncollected over the years, including a publicized one of $80,000?

Surely, it would have been more financially beneficial to either shut off that water in the first month, as the electric company would do, or hire someone to collect in the beginning. For $80,000, the city could have hired four employees for a whole year with a trickle-down economic boost of nearly $240,000. And that is just one unpaid water bill among thousands during the years.

If you used the fee that supposedly is added each month to a late bill, you could easily pay someone to go around and collect each month and then have the revenue from the water itself.

What other business would continue over and over to allow the same people to move from one location to another, racking up a huge bill with no recourse?

Sure, you can add it to the homeowner’s taxes and maybe, eventually, you will get it, but immediate revenue is always more beneficial than hoping you will get it someday. Forget the fact that those persons who are not going to pay in the beginning just learn that they can get away with it forever.

Here’s a few more head-scratchers:

Libby has one of the highest water rates around, yet one has to constantly check to see if it is safe to drink the water.

Officials talk about beautifying the city with gardens, eagles and nice streets along the highway area, but one practically needs a four-wheel drive vehicle to navigate the streets. Wouldn’t that money have been just as well spent to fix the streets for those people who are committed to Libby, who spend their entire paycheck here, rather than people passing through to take a picture, but may not even spend a dime here?

The city supposedly owns the first six feet or so of your property, but only when there is a financial gain, such as the micro storm that passed through some years ago. The trees citizens probably planted and maintained until they blew down were tagged immediately as city property when there was a potential for sizeable financial gain. Property owners were left cleaning up the limbs and mess left behind by the loggers, one of which was the mayor’s son.

Try not mowing that section of grass supposedly owned by the city and see what happens. Don’t trim the trees on that section of your lawn, or ask to have the sidewalk repaired, and you will suddenly find it is your responsibility.

Finally, it seems there have been a number of failed businesses that, apparently, used city-funded money. That money is unlikely to ever be returned. Yet, a business that has been here 30 years, which could expand and offer some needed new lines with a nominal loan, will be scoffed at if they ask to be included in some kind of funding.

Lynda Bradshaw