To the Editor:

On Nov. 2, (early voting: Miami County Board of Elections begins on October 5) (Source: https://bit.ly/2XHNahq) Piqua residents have the choice of continuing the strong financially efficient citizen-centered government (already saving the city over $750,000.) or voting for putting the egotistical, self-proclaimed cronyism back in power.

Piqua City Commissioner and Mayor Kris Lee and Piqua City Commissioner Chris Grissom are offering continued financial responsibility, transparency, and citizen-centered government.

The un-elected elitists would enjoy regaining power where they can control your tax dollars ignoring your opinion, discussion, or vote and where taxpayers are labeled trouble-makers if you dare to disagree with them. Under decades’ of elitists’ rule, Piqua turned into regulatory, controlling — keeping businesses and industries out while venturing into the real estate market where your tax dollars were used for properties and competition against private local entrepreneurs, instead of for city government’s explicit purpose of safety, infrastructure maintenance, garbage collection, recycling, and parks (where Past Mayor and current Piqua City Commissioner Hinds let the city’s swimming pool and Hance Pavilion decay and become abandoned).

Hinds was at the helm for the financing of the roundabout to nowhere. Built in the middle of a rural area where the pastoral scene was that of cows not heavy traffic or infrastructure building industry. The result was waste of your tax dollars. It was a grant, and we can’t pass up free money. Grant money comes from your federal and state taxes; it’s not free.

Hinds lead Piqua as citizens were handed the highest utility rates in the entire region without any citizen’s vote on any proposals. She abandoned maintenance in the city’s parks while emphasizing the downtown. Her public “Christian” policies included trying to stifle the public’s ability to speak out and discuss items during city commission meetings through Ord. No. 2-16. (Source: Piqua City Commission Meeting Minutes, October 6, 2016)

“This Ordinance will change and set the rules of conduct for Commission meetings in the future…” (Source: Piqua City Commission Meeting Minutes, October 6, 2016)

Whining about exposing the facts is not a political platform. Inexperience is no virtue. Is this really the kind of past cronyism you want to support while you continue pay for their reckless adventures?

Please vote for Piqua City Commissioner and Mayor Kris Lee and Piqua City Commissioner Chris Grissom. Your vote is needed to keep Piqua moving forward with fiscal responsibility, transparency, and citizen-centered government.

— Terry D. Wright

Piqua