Dear Mayor Berke,
Hope you are doing well.
This conservative has a question. It is a common principle that elected officials exist to represent all, and hear concerns of all.
I am curious what your positon would be on public employees using taxpayer-funded resources, such as work time, or equipment for their own political agenda. Taxpayer-funded equipment and time is not a personal political tool for government employees, rather it is taxpayer-funded to serve the chartered mission of city government. That chartered mission of employees should not have an appearance of a political agenda.
I remain perplexed at employees working on Chris Anderson’s ordinance on the public time and dime, when legislative matters are a function of duly elected individuals and staff designed solely to assist that legislative mission. While public employees are vested with the same rights as citizens on their own time, I fail to see that employees on duty should be carrying out political functions that have no connection to their job description.
How would Councilman Anderson feel about employees opposing his ordinance using city equipment and time? I think he would implode.
We saw this type of activity with the Littlefield Administration fundraising on municipal computer equipment and on taxpayer-funded time. The public resented this very much.
While citizens of all political leanings should be more politically active, it should not occur on the taxpayers' time. If employees want to get political, they should take a day off and march, lobby, and protest to the highest lever. Public employees should get political, but after hours.
Last time I checked, you are our mayor too. I appreciate your consideration of this matter.
April Eidson