It’s budget time again at Lewiston City Hall — another year for city officials to try to justify spending more money than they really have to. It doesn’t help that some top department officials who are paid top wages (for example, Public Works) don’t live in Lewiston so they don’t pay property taxes to the city.

The mayor thinks he is being tough, but when we watch him at City Council meetings he is a totally different man. I don’t think the taxpayers of this dying city are his priority.

Another point — I have heard that leftover funds in the snow removal budget get transferred to the general fund. I have been told that is the way it is done. Wouldn’t it be better to carry over leftover funds for next year? Lewiston could learn a lesson from some smaller municipalities that do it that way.

I am asking members of the City Council to put the taxpayers ahead of department heads’ unrealistic spending requests.

Just a thought — when Paul LePage’s term in Augusta is done, think about offering him the city administrator or Public Works director position. Known as the French guillotine, heads will roll.

Bob Pelletier, Lewiston