An Open Letter to Mayor Hodges,
I supported your election and have been grateful for your effective leadership in our community. I ask that you extend that leadership to address the need to fund more adequately the upkeep of our neighborhood parks. Carol Becker’s article in the April edition of Southside Pride suggests that your role has devolved to vetoing City Council action and offering alternate ways and means. I respectfully suggest that what we need most from our mayor is a clear statement that our parks must be fully funded. Let others find the means.
If you were to announce a mayor’s tour of the parks, celebrate their enormous value to the city, and point out the need for infrastructure improvements, the future of our parks would be secure. If you added to that a call for more citizen support for this treasure that we all enjoy, many of us will respond enthusiastically.
I think that the genius of your leadership has been your vision of a city that “works,” and keeps its priorities clear. Give us your vision for the parks, not your veto.
Sincerely and supportively,
(The Rev.) Denis M. O’Pray
