‘New Day’ isn’t needed in La Plata, current one is fine
This letter is intended for the citizens of La Plata who will vote in an important election on Tuesday, May 2. This local election will select the mayor and four council members that will represent all the citizens of La Plata for the next four years.
I commend all the candidates for the willingness to serve their community, but the choices available separate the candidates between those who have served the community very well and those who foresee a “New Day in La Plata.”
La Plata is a very good town, both financially and structurally sound. We have been able to retain our small town atmosphere yet function effectively in a complex and economically driven world. This did not just happen; it took a lot of work by people who had the experience and capability to make very difficult decisions. Here are just a few facts to back up that statement.
The town has a very low debt to equity ratio. The Town Hall, the police station and the public works facility on U.S. 301 are relatively new and none have an outstanding mortgage. The equipment the town utilizes to provide a high level of service, whether they are trash trucks or police cars, are paid for in full. All accomplished without raising the town property tax rate in the last 16 years with no expectation to increase the tax for the next fiscal year.
Our wastewater treatment plant is state of the art and was selected as the best in the state of Mar yland for a town our size in the last calendar year. We can produce four times our daily demand for water that will help attract new commercial and some residential development in the foreseeable future.
We have a strong business community that has a primary purpose of serving the residents of the community, and when they do this well are usually successful. Many new and remodeled businesses are part of our landscape because La Plata is a business-friendly town.
We are working with the county to find a suitable location in La Plata for a new library complex and have partnered with the county and the La Plata Town Centre Corporation on a transportation study for our downtown area that will commence very soon. These are important issues that will benefit the entire town.
I am not convinced that a “New Day in La Plata” is what the majority of residents’ desire. Experienced and highly motivated elected officials who can make the hard decisions necessary to keep La Plata strong and vibrant should be the preferred choice. Accordingly, I fully support Lynn Gilroy, Wayne Winkler, Keith Back, Joe Norris and Tim Giles.