Youngstown: a good place to live (where council members work 24/7)

Opinion: July 16, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

Don’t believe that there aren’t people who want to live in Youngstown. This city has citizens who are gainfully employed or receive retirement income who could easily leave if they felt the need. There are scores of residents who enjoy their neighborhoods or are striving to improve them, and your editorial is actually insulting to them.

Let’s be clear, before the residency requirement was overturned by the state, some city employees were illegally living in the suburbs already. The difference is they began to use their real address.

Although the city of Youngstown has lost population, our challenges are now greater. I would have loved to have been a council person serving a well inhabited city with ample employment. This would translate into less grass to cut, more money for street paving and a huge decrease in demolition to name a few.

Yes, we have our problems with crime which we are addressing in a proactive manner (C.I.R.V.). However, we all know that crime was even an issue in the past; it just presented itself in a different way (the mob).

As for the obscene amount of money we make, Council people work for their constituents 24 hours a day, receiving calls and dealing with issues from residents as late or early as 3:00 in the morning. Some think we have a city car (we do not) so we burn our own gas, purchase tickets and political ads. I find it very peculiar that no one else’s salary is in question. All that complain about our job, take out a petition and run for office.

Finally, did you really read some of the charter recommendations? Also, thirteen on the ballot at one time is absurd!!!

Be the Vindicator, and stop being vindictive.

Annie L. Gillam, Youngstown

The writer is Youngstown’s 1st Ward councilwoman.