City’s decision costs taxpayers

We citizens of Spokane Valley have no snowplow service contract for upcoming winters. Our city government lost the contract with the county, despite county efforts to maintain service in the hard winter of 2008-2009. The city government chose not to pay for stand-by services and the difference by covering these costs.

The county did not renew the contract because they cannot afford to continue to carry these costs. Now, if we are to have snowplow services, this would cost millions of dollars just to start up and more to maintain.

We will be paying for land and buildings, graders, dump trucks, plows, and the people to operate and maintain them as well at the associated costs for vacations, sick pay and insurance. All paid by taxes on you and me.

Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to just get along with the county and pay for the stand-by services? It will sure look cheap compared to the capital outlay the city is about to make.

Gordon Curry

Spokane Valley