Recycling another Yuma boondoggle?

I read the July 17 article about City of Yuma recycling proposal and my first thought was “here we go again.”

First, the city takes over animal control which the Humane Society agreed to provide to the city for a little over $500,000. The additional cost to city taxpayers was $200,000-plus for a total of more than $700,000. (A city council person told me the actual figure is about $750,000).

Next, the city takes over city ambulance service from Rural/Metro thereby eliminating the taxes the business would have paid to the city, eliminating jobs held by Yuma residents at Rural/Metro and increasing the employees, equipment and benefits, etc., for which city taxpayers will have to pay.

Now, City Administrator Greg Wilkinson wants to begin a recycling program with a private firm. Wilkinson states there “will be some upfront costs that have to be worked out.” He has not done a particularly good job in the past estimating the cost to city taxpayers as a result of his actions, so let me suggest that the profit making business that performs the recycling pay for the start-up costs.

I realize that it is only taxpayer money but he might try spending it as if it were his own money. As a matter of fact, he should always treat taxpayer money as if it were his own.

So far, I consider Wilkinson to have been a huge disappointment as the city administrator.

Please, try to do a better job.

Thomas G. Kelly III
Yuma