Letters to the Editor
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Merrill Foto News, its publishers, Editor, or staff.
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the many recent articles pertaining to the T.B. Scott Mansion. The citizens of Merrill, and apparently the City Alderman, learned more about the upcoming demise of the Mansion from these two weeks’ worth of articles than any other source which ultimately, is the reason for my letter.
Something the Mayor said in the article regarding “City Leadership Clashes” from last week caught my attention. Mayor Woellner was first quoted by Alderman Osness as having said at a prior meeting, “It is not the Alderman’s job to be informed of everything that goes on within the city.” Then at last week’s Public Hearing he is quoted as saying, “You guys (City Alderman) make law. You set law. You set policy.”
I’m struggling to understand this at several points: 1.) How can we expect our Alderman to set policy or make law if they are not adequately informed? 2.) If Council makes the laws and sets policy, who enforces said laws and policy? 3.) If the “Administration” is responsible for enforcing laws and policies, who has oversight of the Administration to ensure that they are enforcing them properly and/or are adhering to them themselves? What limitations are preventing this from happening? I believe these questions are worthy of clarification to the citizens of Merrill, especially as it seems to be an on-going issue under the current administration. I would love to see an investigative article written on this subject.
Thank you,
– LaDonna Fermanich
Wausau, WI
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
*Letters must be 250 words or less (There will be no exceptions to this. Any letter longer than 250 words will not be printed.)
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