To the editor:

I know what the members of City Council are going through at this time of the year.

Yes, it is budget time. That means they spend a lot of time thinking, “Which way should I vote? What changes do I see that should be made, or should I just go along with the city manager’s budget?”

I know what a hard time this is, because I did the same thing for four years, while I was on the council.

I have been following the progress of the budget the manager has sent to City Council. Where is all the money going, if the employees do not get a raise for all the outstanding work they do, which makes the citizens and businessmen want to stay in the great city of Suffolk?

Our school system, including the teachers and employees, is doing a great job. We want to keep them teaching our students and giving them a great education. But without raises, we are going to lose many of these fine teachers and employees. This is not what the city of Suffolk needs.

Council members should not let the charm of the city manager lead them into voting for a budget that they will be disliked for the years to come.

This is an election year. We, the citizens of Suffolk, support our outstanding teachers, the School Board and the outstanding employees of Suffolk. They are the ones who make the city of Suffolk a great place to live.

We are proud to live here in Suffolk. Let’s keep it that way for years to come. The City Council should support the School Board and the employees of Suffolk.

W. Rufus Powell

Mr. Powell was a City Council member from the Holy Neck Borough from 1998 to 20002. He was the vice mayor of Suffolk from 2000-2002.