The city of Sherrill’s commissioner resigned and warned its residents of the city’s financial future.
Christopher Niles submitted his letter of resignation April 22 with it going into effect at midnight.
“This decision was not made lightly and follows eight days of careful reflection and discussion with my wife, friends, and colleagues regarding my personal goals and aspirations,” Niles wrote in his letter of resignation. “Both as a family and as an elected official of the Silver City.”
Niles said during his two years and four months of service as Sherrill’s commissioner, he has acted in what he believed to be the best interest of the city — but the actions of the municipality and the city’s financial future has him concerned.
“The cost of operating the city continues to rise annually in line with inflation while our municipal boundaries are permanently finite,” Niles wrote.
With no easy way to expand the tax base of the city, the only way to deal with the rising costs of goods and services is to increase property taxes, something Niles notes in his letter.
Additionally, Niles took a jab at what he called a “fiscally irresponsible” decision by the city to bond for $650,000 for a swimming pool that “ … only 6% of households use and will operate at a growing annual loss.”
“The city already functions at an operating deficit and unless meaningful cost reductions and revenue growth occur over the next decade, Sherrill risks losing its charter as an independently incorporated municipality,” Niles wrote. “Having reviewed the city’s financials and approved the last two annual budgets, I am convinced that increasingly difficult decisions and budget reductions are necessary and unavoidable.”
But a tough budget and finances are not the only reason Niles cites for his resignation.
He also questioned the “corrosive force” of mob mentality in the Sherrill community and the use of social media for “ … personal attacks, unfounded assumptions, misinformation, and intimidation.”
According to Niles, he will be retiring a year earlier than originally planned and will sell his primary residence in Sherrill and relocate to Florida.
“I sincerely wish nothing but the best for the city of Sherrill, those who govern it, and its residents,” Niles wrote. “I remain hopeful for the future of our great Silver City.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Sherrill commissioner resigns, warns of city’s financial future
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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