A Letter to the Editor from Stephenville City Councilman Boyd Waggoner

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Stephenville City Councilman Boyd Waggoner is calling out fellow Councilman Jerry Warren over an other incorrect newspaper ad.
Stephenville City Councilman Boyd Waggoner is calling out fellow Councilman Jerry Warren over an other incorrect newspaper ad.

The letter to the editor was sent to The Flash Today by a Stephenville City Council member in response to another councilman’s public statements against the council’s spending habits.

Dear Editor,

I take issue with City Councilman Jerry Warren’s ad in last Sunday’s paper (Stephenville Empire Tribune) because his ad furnished false information about Stephenville finances. His ad stated that “Over the last several months the city has paid and/or obligated itself to pay around one million dollars for studies, done or to be done.”

The statement is simply false – by $730,000.

The true number is $270,000 for the current fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2015 – Sept. 30, 2016) so his number was exaggerated by $730,000.

Mr. Warren also said in his ad: “Pretty sure Walter Wood, city accountant, will tell you the same.”

Wrong again.

If Mr. Warren had checked with Walter Wood, city accountant, like I did, the accountant would have told Mr. Warren that the magnitude of his error was about $730,000, and that the true number is $270,000. Not “around one million dollars.”

And $200,000 of the $270,000 is about streets, trying to make sure the big money we spend on street repairs ($1 million budgeted in this fiscal year) and future streets is done intelligently. I think the people are willing to pay for decent streets.

Abraham Lincoln said if he had 6 hours to cut down a tree with an axe, he would spend much of the time sharpening his axe.

Spending money to make sure we do the right thing about streets is not a waste.

Before Mr. Warren says again that he is “pretty sure” that the city accountant will back him up on financial numbers, maybe he should talk to the guy, like I did, instead of being “pretty sure” without talking to him.

Sincerely,

Boyd Waggoner,

Stephenville City Council

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