Community Center is a Disaster to Fairmont

To the Editor:

Certainly city council members from the past and the present disrupted people’s lives and this community. They have way too much power. I’m not talking about all of them, past and present. Wayne Hasek has always looked out after the taxpayers money and concerns. Thank you for all your hard work and efforts. Bruce Peters did an outstanding job and looked to the best interest of the community. Michele Miller is relatively new in her position, but what I have recognized, is doing a great job and will continue doing so.

Two people from the past lost their jobs/positions because of a council member and a council member-at-large. They must have felt it was necessary to remove them to achieve their own personal goals. Now we lost Troy Nemmers and Cathy Reynolds. My personal opinion is we need to get rid of Randy, Lee, Britney and Jay. After they are gone, try and keep Cathy and try and bring back Troy and put an end to this community disaster. If private individuals want to build it, go right ahead and build it.

Their are too many hidden costs that they are not telling us if the community disaster center is built. The City of Fairmont better be charging them real estate tax, water and electricity from Fairmont, pay for their own heat and pay for all future upkeep. They will have to be responsible for their own snow removal and landscaping and insurance for their building and personal liability.

This community center will not increase the population with people that pay higher taxes. The aquatic park proved that. If you want the population to grow, you need big industries and manufacturing plants that will employ 500 or more employees.

The $14 million dollars that came from the 1/4 percent sales tax increase was for more than building a community center. That money should be used for fixing everything else that is run down and needs upkeep (not the aquatic park). Gomsrud Park should have all the money given to the first design. Now I feel it should be given more money to fix that park and all of the other parks and trails.

The roads, infrastructures beneath them, new fire hall and wastewater treatment facility should be priority. We have a new freshwater facility but it should have used ground water to treat and not lake water. Big mistake. The street assessments have always been a bad idea. The people pay real estate taxes on buildings and homes that are not worth the value they are assessed. We as citizens of the United States have been over-taxed our whole lives. Current Democrats that are in office have and are destroying this country.

Everyday, South Dakota looks better to relocate to. They are Republicans and they have a great governor with perfect policies. It’s safer then Minnesota. The fishing, hunting and trapping is better. South Dakota has great schools and universities. Retiring in South Dakota has huge benefits and savings.

South Dakota is one of the most business-friendly states in the country. There’s no better place to settle down and take advantage of those incentives. There’s no corporate income tax, personal income tax, personal property tax, business inventory tax or inheritance or estate taxes. Even without the tax advantages, doing business in South Dakota is especially affordable.

Eugene Koch