Editor, the News-Herald:

Looking over the Suffolk City budget, several things stick out like a sore thumb. This city has too many people traveling, becoming members and paying dues or something or another, and reading too many books and magazines at our expense.

The city council contingency fund of $60,000, memberships and dues of $45,000, and travel expenses of $57,000 seem a little overboard. The city manager’s travel expenses of $9,000 and dues and membership expenses of $2,000 are a little excessive. I would list all departments’ travel and membership dues, but I’d have writer’s cramp before I could finish this letter. The city budget has over $3,000 for travel and training and does not include the fire or police, $98,900 for memberships and dues, and over $29,000 for books and magazine subscriptions.

Another item that caught my eye was the proposed expenditure of $57,000 lease or building rent for the Parks and Recreation Department.

This budget appears to have a lot of fat that needs to be cut out. The reduction of real property tax is possible. City Council and staff are paid to run this city, not to travel on our tax buck.

William H. Harward

Manning Road

Suffolk