Dear Richland Source,
I just read your Editorial “Is Mansfield City Council going to be part of the problem, or part of the solution?”
The vote that precipitated this editorial was something I had watched and studied closely. The original wording of the legislation was too politically charged to gain the necessary support of the non-partisan Richland Public Health. City Council did make necessary changes to gain their partnership, but failed to make other necessary changes.
Had the legislation been about denouncing racism and recognizing the citizen groups working on the issue, I suspect it would have passed unanimously.
Instead, the final document possessed flaws so significant it failed to adequately address the issue of racism in its entirety. Further, the question of whether City Council possessed the necessary qualifications to make medical declarations was, to my knowledge, never answered.
Does the issue of racism matter?
Absolutely, yes! Was this bill adequate to address the problem?
By the end no. The final document posed as many problems as it purported to help solve. I wish a better document had made it to the final vote.
But to your point of City Council’s history of inaction, yes, I have seen that play out over the last several decades. It is a most intriguing thing to watch that even as the office holders change, much of Mansfield’s reputation remains unchanged.
Generally, what action they do or don’t take, they attribute to the calls and opinions of their constituents. (Whose problem really is this? The skate park was shot down by neighbors. There seems to be a large number of citizens against any change.)
It seems the only action Council is quick to make (regardless of public input) is upping taxes and utility fees!
Deborah Mount
Mansfield, Ohio.
