Faust: Elected officials hide at Dover council meeting

Where is the transparency in responding to questions on record, so the public can hear the official response/statement?”

William G. Faust Jr. is a resident of Dover.

I attended the Dover City Council meeting at City Hall on March 24, and I was appalled at the actions of the mayor and the council members. I was the first to speak in the public forum section of the meeting. Everyone is only given three minutes to speak. I had several questions. Therefore, I asked that, if my questions could not be answered that night, could they be placed on the docket for the next meeting, so they could be addressed/answered and be part of the public record?

Council President David L. Anderson cherry-picked what portion of my questions to answer and informed me that the balance would be answered by email. Where is the transparency in responding to questions on record, so the public can hear the official response/statement? Here are two of the questions I asked:

• With our current revenue issues, how is the city going to give out raises to the hardworking police officers and city workers who do their best in providing the services residents so desperately need?
• What steps did council and the mayor take to minimize the added fees, the increase in electricity, the tax increase and the pending increase in water/wastewater treatment?

These are straightforward questions and should be easily answered by the mayor and council.

The appalling part of the meeting was when President David L. Anderson asked anyone else with questions or comments to say them, if they had signed up prior to the start of the public forum. One individual asked a question that he did not like, and he abruptly closed the public forum section of the meeting, without letting her speak. She expressed her displeasure, and he attempted to close the forum a few more times. He lost control of the situation and walked out of the meeting for a brief period. The mayor had to step in to gain control of the meeting. It is not my place to say if the comment or question was out of line, but to cut someone off because you do not like his or her statement is appalling.

Some have asked me why I voice my concern so much. The answer is simple: I have friends who live in Dover who are older, on fixed incomes, struggle to pay monthly bills and must decide to buy food or purchase medication. Lastly, some friends work multiple jobs, so they can keep food on their tables and roofs over their families’ heads.

I acknowledge that being in public office has its challenges, but when your concerns, fears and questions go unanswered, it causes frustration, anger and lack of trust of those individuals who you placed in office to serve our city.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.