To the Editor:
Are you surprised as a Mitchell taxpayer that information given to you by the City Council and the Mitchell Aquatics Club was indeed incorrect or outright lies? I am not.
Council President Jeff Smith in an open meeting stated the operating costs would be mostly covered by the MAC's membership and fees, and the same statement was made by the MAC's literature passed out prior to the election.
Prior to the election, I brought up repeatedly the cost of operations was severely understated. This was brought to the attention of Dusty Rodiek, the City Council and my Ward 3 councilmen. I was told I was wrong, and that is that. When I asked if they wanted to see the data, I was told no. They had the data they wanted.
The correct thing for the city administration to do now would be to finish gathering the actual costs of the new pool (not estimates that could be up to 600 percent off) and to bring the new issue to the voters in the November elections. This way, the Mitchell voters would be able to vote on the real issue and not fiction that was presented to the taxpayers.
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If they choose not to do this, I am sure Councilman Smith and the MAC will make good on their assurances that the MAC will cover the operating costs with their memberships and fees so the taxpayers are only responsible for a small portion of the increased costs.
In a recent letter to the editor, the writer was surprised that more than $400,000 was paid for the Corn Palace operations; but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
We taxpayers of Mitchell pay millions of dollars a year (second sheet of ice, outdoor pool loan, Corn Palace, new pool, soccer fields, new pool) so that the bed and beer and special interests can profit and enjoy them. This I am told is just the cost to live in Mitchell.
I do not know what it will take to awaken the taxpayer; I just hope that it happens soon.
Ed Potzler
Mitchell
