Neosho Daily Editorial on the City's Issues

This is from today's Neosho Daily.

A city government should not become a three-ring circus, nor one of any sort and, in the process, become the butt of a lot of jokes. But that is precisely what is happening in Neosho. Our community has become a laughingstock not only in the Four State region, but nationwide. Residents have received telephone calls from as far away as Pennsylvania asking what was going on in our community. That’s not the sort of publicity our town needs. We don’t want, nor need, to become a Jay Leno monologue.

It’s time to end the finger pointing. Time to quit the blame game. Time to stop saying our problems stem from environmental factors such as mold spores. Many municipalities are struggling financially. It’s not a Neosho phenomenon alone, nor a Missouri problem, nor an American problem. The current economic woes are of global proportions.

Neosho is in trouble financially. We’re “scrambling” to make payroll, in the words of City Manager Jan Blase. If we were a household, we would have “more month than money.”

While we acknowledge that there have been some good advancements in our town in recent years, we now question whether the current issues and questions surrounding our city will stunt this growth in the future. If the city puts a property tax on the ballot in the coming year and the current city management in still in place at city hall, will the public pass it in light of the current controversy? Talk around town indicates it won’t, not unless a change of leadership occurs.

The members of the council were elected to act in the best interest for the city and its residents. They need to listen. They need to act. They need to communicate with the public. They need to right the ship.

Our leadership at city hall needs to show it is serious about solving this town’s problems. And if a change in that leadership is needed to correct our town’s course, then so be it.

DAILY NEWS