The saying “cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face” is appropriate. It reflects the action of two City Council members who voted “no” to a fee to maintain parks and rec services and staffing.

Mayor Tonya Graham defined the outcome of a “no” vote: that services and employees would be lost. Two councilors voted “yes” in order to maintain our valued parks, realizing they would have to vote for a fee now, then work on making the parks department more efficient. It seemed that one of the councilors voting “no” was genuinely concerned with the hardship on the community of more fees.

Now for the part that I’m really bothered about. Two of the “no” votes were aimed at displeasure with how park and city staff brought the issue to the council. I agree with their sentiment. From the perspective of a resident watching this unfold, more early notification and collaboration on issues facing park’s department budget should have occurred before coming to the council with a request for a fee.

Despite statements by these two councilors that they support parks and have received public input to support parks, they voted to cut services to the community and to cut park employees. Apparently because they were upset at the process. People who work for Ashland Parks & Recreation will be losing their jobs because of their “no” vote.

I am extremely saddened for the employees who will be told they no longer have a job. It is also disheartening that the parks are going to look different in the future.  Not as lively or as useful to the community. Is there any hope the City Council can find a way to keep the services and employees they just voted to remove?  If there is, they should act on it.

Manuel De Aquino

Ashland