Editor, the News-Herald:

As a follow-up to my recent article concerning the employment of Ms. Jennifer D’Alessandro as director of sales for the approximately one year in the future opening of the Constant’s Wharf Convention Center: To date, no comments from city hall concerning her past, salary, etc. Thank you, Mr. Pocklington for your concurrence in Sunday’s edition.

Another thought came to mind as it disturbed me that the taxpayers of Surprising Suffolk are paying thru the nose, etc., with the excessive rates and assessments in relation to my fair Gates County (personal property $4.50 versus .83 per $100), and cannot give the police officers that, daily, risk life and limb to protect all from crime only a .045 percent raise; however it can employ apparently any former friend that becomes unemployed or relocates when all departments already have an assistant to the assistant.

Three other thoughts come to my meager mind:

Mr. Herbert is building his portfolio by keeping the assessments high and salaries low, which will make extremely valuable to his next city when he moves on before the Constant’s Wharf Convention Center bankrupts Surprising Suffolk.

While Suffolk police salaries are below the adjacent standard, you the taxpayer absorb the cost of training the incoming rookies and, in due time, usually, one to two years, the rookies resign and Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake or Virginia Beach hires the already trained rookies thereby lowering their costs considerably.

I am not accusing anyone; however, I wonder if just an &uot;under the table deal&uot; has been made with private compensation package to keep your police department this way. Readers, believer me, as a former product marketing manager for a $100,000,000 company until my health failed in ’92, deals were made daily in the market place. Think about it. Amen.

Roy W. Weaver Jr.

Gates, N.C.