To the editor:

The City Council should repeal the new trash collection fee that was passed the first of May. This tax was unneeded, as Suffolk already had enough money to provide trash collection within the city.

The city already had a recycling program that was working just fine. That program was already paid for by our city taxes.

The $18.50 trash fee approved by the City Council will now be adjusted by Eric Nielsen to $17.50. Is this one-dollar reduction supposed to make us all happy?

The rush to pass this city budget the first of May, coupled with the sudden discovery of $4 million in extra tax revenue at the end of June makes me wonder if there was a plan to cover up the hidden surplus.

The last item presented at the City Council meeting by the head of the economic development department was a shocker. It was stated that Suffolk had a moral obligation to pay TowneBank $5 million for property in northern Suffolk.

The loan was made by the Economic Development Authority. That organization, not taxpayers, should be responsible for the loan’s repayment when it sells the property it bought.

The city should not be in the real estate business. This is not a core function of city governments. The City Council should repeal this unpopular trash fee now so that everyone can celebrate.

William H. Harward

Suffolk