Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
When it comes to someone getting an early Christmas present, the now departed city manager hit the jackpot.
After being ousted by Mayor Steve DeBrum & Company, Elena Reyes exited the city with a cool $250,000 if not more. What a blunder that was.
Another blunder created by DeBrum with the help of former council member Vince Hernandez was the bulb outs in downtown that were to beautify downtown. Now it is going to cost city taxpayers $1 million to renovate the 100 block of North Main Street by tearing out trees and bulb outs just to please a few downtown merchants and those who have or did work there including Councilman Richard Silverman.
When all is said and done the block should be renamed the Silverman-Hernandez Expressway.
The budget adopted by the council has just $50,000 for sidewalk repairs that present a danger to the public when staff says at least $300,000 is needed. But we will spend $125,000 for elevator repairs at the golf course clubhouse. What kind of nonsense is this?
Dump the golf course as Fleenor Richards said in a recent letter. This council spends money as if they are turning on a water faucet. They must be competing with the Manteca Unified School District which is spending millions on Measure G projects.
How much more sidewalk repair could be done to keep Manteca citizens save if nearly the entire council doesn’t fly to Washington, D.C. each year on the taxpayers’ dime?

Fred Millner
Manteca