Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
To the editor: I attended the recent candidates forum hosted by the Eastern Maumee Bay Chamber of Commerce, where “fiscal responsibility” was once again the phrase of the night. Everyone agrees that Northwood needs attention on Woodville Road and a stronger focus on economic development.
But fiscal responsibility should mean wise management and planning for tomorrow — not endless cutting and outsourcing. Over the years we’ve lost our local tax office and our police and fire dispatch center, moves that may have saved a few dollars but cost us local service, control, and community connection.
Our city staff has been trimmed to the bare minimum, yet they continue to carry the workload of a city twice our size. At some point, “doing more with less” stops being efficient and starts being neglect.
Meanwhile, Northwood holds a rainy-day fund of about $17 million. For a city our size, a reasonable reserve might be $1.5 to $2 million. Every dollar beyond that represents something our residents went without — a service, a project, or an improvement that never happened.
Northwood needs leaders who listen, plan ahead, and bring new ideas, new direction, and new hope to our city. That’s why I’m supporting Pat McGaharan, Terry Kretz, and Andrew Dickey for City Council.
It’s time to stop hollowing out our city in the name of saving it — and start investing in Northwood’s future.
Dave Gallaher
Northwood
