About a month ago,  the Chamber of Commerce  announced the results of a survey about the way the locals feel about our town. To their dismay, it turns out we have a negative  self image.  Even though 59,000 people live here, they don’t think it’s a very great place, and lots of them have moved away in the past several years.  We used to have  a population of 71,000  in 1960,   but it’s been slowly dwindling ever since.   What is wrong?  College towns are supposed to be attractive.  Recently, we’ve built a mega million dollar convention center, and voted in a new casino to attract the gambling crowd.  We have a new concert center, great parks, and low cost of living. And the mayor just announced that we’ve balanced the budget.   What are the 5 reasons folks flee this frugal city? 

You have to wonder if saving all that money –to the point where we have an excess of tax money—is such a good idea.  It’s great that the City Council and  the politicians who run things  are investing in ways to attract tourists.  After all, tourists spend money in restaurants, hotels, and malls.  But  then they leave.  Not many of them are so impressed with what we have that they feel any great desire to relocate.

As a long time resident who’s also lived in other cities from time to time, it’s easy to see what’s wrong.

1. Infrastructure is sadly lacking. Yes, our main streets and highways are paved and well maintained. But if you drive through the inner city, along side streets and alleyways, you will encounter numerous pot holes, crumbling sidewalks, and deteriorating , poorly maintained houses.  Quality of water supply is  questionable, when black sediment is frequently seen in toilet bowls.

2.    Code enforcement is not functional. The inner city is blighted with run down, weed filled yards and properties.  When you complain to someone in that office, they claim to be understaffed, to the point where optimal code enforcement is not possible.  Other cities impose large fines for homeowners  and landlords who don’t maintain their property.. But not this city.  Why do we not have enough money for optimal code enforcement?  Maybe that would be a place to spend some of that extra money, rather than building more and more running  trails for wealthy suburbanites,

  3.  The city does not have a municipal indoor swimming pool. They gave into pressure when the local YMCA closed their pool, and agreed to partner with them to reopen their aging pool  Unfortunately, the YMCA is poorly funded, and managed by the YMCA in an adjoining county, who has no vested interest in improving our community. .  The pool is frequently closed due to broken parts and electrical problems—sometimes for months at a time.

4. Poverty level is 26%–twice the national average for a city of this size. The  problem is way too complex for me to solve. I suspect poor people stay because of cheap housing in run down areas. They simply can’t afford to move.  Unfortunately, many don’t have cars and you see them walking along the streets with bags from the Dollar Store.  Homeless people congregate near the library, but unlike many  other cities , no social worker is stationed inside to help find them a place to live.

5. Trains running through the city cause traffic jams and delays to everyone going about their business and ambulances headed for hospitals.. There are three overpasses on the outer edges of town, but that doesn’t solve the problem  of  long waits at numerous inner city rail crossings.

Instead of spending tax dollars to attract tourists, it might be better to find ways of persuading people to stay. Right now, we are earmarked for 34.1 million dollars in American Rescue plan money. However,   the politicians who run the city can’t decide how to spend it.  How about asking all of the folks who live here?