Mayor was elected to be people's voice
I’m a 15-year-old student in Yuma. I’d like to inform all who read that I am a well-known and well-respected member of the Humane Society and Yuma community; I’ve won many awards for my work with the Humane Society of Yuma and have met with the mayor several times. I’ve even been offered by him to go down to City Hall at any time(s) I may choose and spend time with him and the council; he would give me tours and show me the ropes of things.
Well, you know what? I have no desire to learn how things work from a man of this character because if this is how he acts during meetings, it’s sickening. I attended the Yuma City Council Meeting on Feb. 6. And when a 15-year-old is aware of the mayor’s facial expressions during the Call to the Public, and views them as disrespectful, then they must’ve been obvious.
During people speaking on the matter of the county (with city behind them) building a pound, which not only would not offer adoptions but also other services that the Humane Society of Yuma currently provides, such as low-cost spay and neuter or vaccinations, and the animals wouldn’t be sent to PetSmart nor rescues. So the facility that is being proposed to be built would be a pound for animals to go and wait to die.
Now, during the Call to the Public, all who spoke opposed the idea and gave the statistics and their views on why it should not be considered or even discussed, yet during the entire time, the mayor couldn’t keep a grin off of his face. I enjoyed how the mayor found it humorous every time facts and statements were presented toward him. His behavior and attitude when upon the topic of county and city taking over kenneling, which I may remind those reading, the county did not have their financial statistics up to par nor the concept of having only two kennel techs running the entire facility (which they don’t know how many kennels there will be, nor how large the premises of the pound may be and they expect to save taxpayers money, when not taking into account the financial burden of food, cleaning chemicals, beds, blankets, air exchanged filtration systems, etc.) was unacceptable, his smile was inappropriate and uncalled for. It reminded me of a child’s lack of control over emotions, and as an adult he should have listened to the ideas (even if he viewed them as preposterous) and been willing to make comments without them being snide or cynical.
Maybe instead of grinning, he should have been taking into account/consideration what concerned citizens were saying because you know what, he’s mayor and he was elected to be the people’s voice and to listen to the people and not to do whatever he may seem fit at whatever times may please him.
Billie Ciotti
Yuma
