Public Comments Put More Heat on City Council Over Spending
By: Nick Ochsner
Updated: November 8, 2012
At least two Lubbock resident took to the podium at Thursday night's City Council meeting to voice concerns over the amount of money being spent by council members on themselves.
The comments come just days after a KAMC investigation revealed sometimes reckless spending by council members and the mayor.
Both men who addressed the council about its spending called into question the amount of mail being sent out by the office; both held up letters sent from individual council members on gold foil letterhead and asked if the letter was really necessary.
"I question the costs," one man said. "It was prepared by your council's secretary--it's got her initials on there--and you paid 44.2 cents to send it to me."
Records for the council's spending obtained by KAMC Investigates shows a pack of 500 sheets of gold foil letterhead costs taxpayers about $140.00.
Other records show Councilman Victor Hernandez sends out hundreds of letters each month wishing people a happy birthday. Invoices for those letters show they average about $50.00 a month.
But more than the actual costs associated with mailing so many letters, one speaker questioned the message the council was sending by using resources the way council members are doing now.
"KAMC also brought up in their report all the expenditures of the council," the man said. "Those two things give the impression that y'all aren't really concerned about expenses for the City of Lubbock."
The comments come just days after a KAMC investigation revealed sometimes reckless spending by council members and the mayor.
Both men who addressed the council about its spending called into question the amount of mail being sent out by the office; both held up letters sent from individual council members on gold foil letterhead and asked if the letter was really necessary.
"I question the costs," one man said. "It was prepared by your council's secretary--it's got her initials on there--and you paid 44.2 cents to send it to me."
Records for the council's spending obtained by KAMC Investigates shows a pack of 500 sheets of gold foil letterhead costs taxpayers about $140.00.
Other records show Councilman Victor Hernandez sends out hundreds of letters each month wishing people a happy birthday. Invoices for those letters show they average about $50.00 a month.
But more than the actual costs associated with mailing so many letters, one speaker questioned the message the council was sending by using resources the way council members are doing now.
"KAMC also brought up in their report all the expenditures of the council," the man said. "Those two things give the impression that y'all aren't really concerned about expenses for the City of Lubbock."
