New year means important decisions for City of Mondovi

With a new year upon us, we need to remember as a community the issues that are important not only in 2015 but for the coming years. Although I haven’t had an editorial in the paper for a few weeks, I for one have not forgotten about the serious issues facing our city. 

The last City Council meeting in December brought several issues up again regarding the hiring of a new police chief. Many decisions still need to be made, so it is still important to attend the City Council meetings and keep informed. There is still a lot of talk around town from citizens that unfortunately several Council members are still questioning the concerns that were presented to the Council by the Citizens Participation Committee. Were they not listening to the overwhelming concerns from the people? 

If we want to keep this process honest and in the best interests of our city, we have to stay involved. Several issues regarding requirements and qualifications for the police chief are going to be voted on at the next meeting and it is important that the citizens get what was asked for. The process of hiring officers and the chief of police need to be revised and those final decisions will lie in the hands of our City Council. I, for one, want to be there to see what the Council’s decisions are on these matters.

The unrest in cities around the country with police officers, shootings, riots, protesting, etc., is very disturbing. We may think we are exempt from things like that happening in our small town, but we are not. Unfortunately crimes are inevitable, but we need to trust that our city is in the hands of the most experienced and trustworthy leadership possible. Police officers, and especially the chief of police, are not positions that should be just taken lightly.

Please try to attend the Council’s next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at City Hall and future meetings to help make sure that our councilmen want the same level of security and experience as the citizens do.

Remember you can make a difference. There is strength in numbers. 

Lori Falkner

Mondovi