Dear Editor:
Recently, Union City Mayor Brian Stack submitted a letter making excuses for the recent tax increase to Union City homeowners. Over the last few years, Union City taxes have continued to rise. Mayor Stack points his finger at others and deflects the blame from his own failure to control taxes.
Mayor Stack has the audacity to claim he is doing all in his power to control spending. One would have to look no further than the Chief of Police, Charles Everett, to realize that Mayor Stack has not done everything in his power and, in reality, has mismanaged many aspects of government.
Currently, Chief Everett makes over $200,000 per year. Additionally, he has a premium health care package, the city pays into his pension fund, and he has use of a take home vehicle. Plus, he receives 12 paid holidays and 45 vacation days a year. If Mayor Stack is doing all he can do to control taxes he needs to explain to the public how Chief Everett’s pay and benefits have gotten so out of control.
As reported in several local papers, Chief Everett has also been the subject of several lawsuits. In one suit, Lopez vs. the City of Union City, both the city and Chief Everett were found liable in a case of political retaliation. The cost to Union City Taxpayers? Half a million dollars plus legal fees! Several years ago, Chief Everett filed a federal lawsuit against Mayor Stack; one can only imagine the cost to Union City Taxpayers to defend the mayor against Chief Everett’s allegations in that case.
Over the last five years, if one was to add up Chief Everett’s pay, benefits, take home vehicle, free gas, settlements and legal fees, Chief Everett has cost Union City taxpayers approximately $1.5 to $2 million. This is only one person. I can only imagine how much waste and inefficiency there is in the rest of Union City government.
My message to Mayor Stack is to stop making excuses and take action to cut the clearly visible waste and mismanagement from the city’s government.
D. Arriola