William G. Faust Jr. is a resident of Dover.
I believe some on Dover City Council forget that words matter. If the citizens believe that the mayor and council lack transparency, honesty or substance, then the city suffers, in the short term and long term.
This is the second time that Council President Fred Neil stated that the mayor was under the weather, but in reality, the mayor was hospitalized for a medical issue.
Normally, when you hear that someone is under the weather, you think that he or she has a cold, a migraine, a stomach virus or some short-term medical condition that requires rest and fluids to recover.
Hospitalization is more of a major concern and situation. Emergency room physicians do not admit individuals for conditions that can be cured at home, without 24-hour care. It’s something to think about!
Word salads to conceal the truth always come out in the end. How can the citizens of Dover trust and believe that the mayor and council cut the recent budget to the bone to ensure that the minimum cost was passed on to the citizens?
Council President Fred Neil can make long speeches and write op-eds to express his points on any matter. How hard is it to tell the unvarnished truth? If Council President Neil was upfront and truthful with the facts — that the mayor was under the weather and was hospitalized — there would not have been an issue. Instead, he kept the whole council unaware of the situation. It would have been terrible if a situation occurred and, God forbid, the mayor was not able to carry out his duties. A bombshell should not be dropped on the whole council.
I am not asking or prying into what the mayor is hospitalized for. That is a private matter; however, when you are an elected official with a high-ranking position, the citizens are entitled to basic facts that do not violate the individual’s privacy.
Recent events and some past events and performances have left a bitter taste in many citizens’ mouths. Many questions and concerns still have gone unanswered by the mayor or Council President Fred Neil.
When can we expect to get the answers to basic questions and concerns that have been repeatedly asked at many council meetings?
Remember that elections are not too far off, and hopefully, the citizens will remember the conduct of certain council members running for reelection and any council members who put their names in to run for mayor. We need to be cautious of those offering a bed of roses, while the roses are wrapped with poison ivy.
This was written by a concerned citizen.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
