$MILLION Boondoggle, City of Trinidad Manager Fails with Our Water Department
for official City numbers and info, contact our City Clerk, Gabe Adams
In This Option: City Manager, Eli Naffah, is held responsible and finally fired; Water Department Operating Reserves replenished at $300,000 from our General Fund; New “guardrails” and protections put in place so that no future Council or Manager can use it for studies or drought bs ever again.
Until the Council and Staff completely sort out the staffing and Water Department monetary requirements, the General Fund continues to subsidize ratepayers who did nothing “wrong” — ratepayers should not be forced to cover the previous Council and Eli’s Million Dollar Boondoggle. Schedule a new Rate Study with Rebecca at GHD after staffing is complete and an investigation/audit is complete. In the audit, we need a complete timeline, rate increase criticisms, and results of both previous Rate Studies including resident letter protest votes.
We can, and should, do better.
City Governance Suggestion: The City Council should recognize our City Manager form of governance has failed Trinidad.
Staff reports the amount of money these 4 managers in a doz years (acknowledging Suker’s success) have cost us. We go back to what worked for 100 years — City Councilmen directly manage departments and governance, saving and replenishing some of our wasted money. If the City decides to hire a new City Manager, it must hire a fiscal conservative who has a proven track record. The hiring process must not be rushed to fill Eli’s firing. Create a new position and compensation for our City Clerk — Superior Clerk of Trinidad? This would easily get us through a year or two of City Council governance.
Thank you for your time and consideration
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