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Editor, Superior Sun:
I am back again to address our town issues. Some have questioned why I continue to question our town operations.
As many of you know, I have been an opponent to the land exchange that would give Oat Flat to Resolution Copper Company. My biggest concern is that this company will jeopardize that future water needs of our community. I will not give up the fight to stop this operation because they do not give us any guarantees for our future water or that our surrounding environment will not be contaminated. We can see that BHP is trying to clean up the contamination that it created in the Pinal Street area, that brought high levels of arsenic into their homes. BHP claims that this was due to the 1993 flood of their tailings. Can you imagine it is almost 19 years later? They are now cleaning up the homes. So, the residents have lived in these conditions, not knowing the harmful effects of arsenic contamination. I have a right, as all residents of Superior, to speak if we know something is wrong. I just want straight answers!
A couple of weeks ago, I had an article concerning the hiring of the new employees for the Town of Superior. As I mentioned these positions were filled with retired people, who were receiving full benefits such as pensions or Social Security. I also mentioned that these positions were not posted or advertised as required by law, so that everyone could equally apply for these openings. I called several of my Town Council members and asked them some very basic questions about this issue and other issues and, to my surprise, they could not answer the questions.
The first question was “How much do these new employees make; their salaries?” They could not answer the question. They did partly answer the question as to if these positions were advertised as is required by law. They were told, since it was an emergency, they could hire anyone they wanted, under that rule.
Yet, these council members did agree that they never discussed or voted on whether the Town of Superior was in a state of emergency. I guess the Mayor forgot to tell the Council that he had declared a state of emergency. That’s what we call transparent!
I did also ask another question to these council members: “Who is in charge? Who is making the day to day decisions? The Town Clerk, Rita Wentzel or the Mayor, or the Vice Mayor or even the council members?” To my amazement, they were not clear who is actually in charge. They have not been told since they fired the Town Manager.
I remember when the Town Manager became ill from the mold at Town Hall, the former Mayor declared that by law, he was in charge but stated that since the Town Council created a Deputy Town Manager’s position – that was held by the Police Chief – the duties were to be totally given to the Deputy Manager. When the new Mayor came into power, the Deputy Manager was dissolved. So, who is in charge?
Are these positions part of the Mayor’s political payback program? Again, the police department cannot fill a dispatcher position because there is a hiring freeze. I guess the Mayor or the Town Clerk did not get that memo.
Mr. Veto Cervantes, the Street Director, was hired to be in charge of the street maintenance and to spend the HURF (Highway User Funds) dollars, Since there was a freeze on the spending of the budget when the new Mayor took office in November, there is now a surplus of money. We were told the Town was broke. So, now they have to spend the money before the budget comes to an end in June. Wow! Now the budget can hire new people and get paid. Instead of the monies going into actual street repair materials, it is going into new employee salaries. Was this part of the current budget? Did the current employees ever get their pay raises that were promised to them in December? By the way, these council members that I called still have not gotten back to me. The Superior Sun also has posed these same questions but I have not seen any answers.
In the last Council Meeting, the Mayor simply addressed the editorials as rumors. I do not understand his remark. Mr. Mayor, be transparent, as you promised! All I ask is answers to the questions; moreover, these are not rumors. Just justify your actions. As in your own words, be accountable.
Other questions, re: the excessive weeds at the US 60 park, the overgrown weeds at the cemetery: What happened to our full time employee at the cemetery?
The last issue is, what is up with the Magma Club?
The Superior Sun reported from a Council Meeting over several months ago that the building was ready to go and can be rented. It has now been told that the building is not rentable because of a sewer problem. The building should have been available for rent since November and it is now April. They knew about the problem but claim that there is no money to fix the problem even though staff bought over $4,000 worth of tables and chairs. It is known that, even though the foreign company can move away, Resolution Copper tried to rent the facility for a safety training program but had to go to Gold Canyon to rent a facility. There goes the money out of town, with the rental loss plus the lunches that were lost over those days.
It is funny that Resolution Copper gave us money to help refurbish the Magma Club and we cannot provide a place for them. It seems that we have money for political paybacks with new created positions but cannot fix a simple sewer problem.
Also, we cannot even help the animal rescue group and we are back to killing animals (more on this later). Is there one of the Mayor’s friends out there who can be a dispatcher? Maybe we can get that position filled for the Police Department.
Again, “Who is in charge?” Mayor, in your own words, be transparent.
All residents, start calling your Mayor and Council Members and demand answers. Maybe they will return your calls: Town Hall: 520-689-5752; Mayor ???; Lopez 520-827-4119; Peralta ???; Aguilar 520-827-9936; Tameron 520-827-0080; Tomerlin 520-827-9278; Gutierrez 520-689-2156. You call me at 520-827-1073.
Long time Superior resident,
/s/ Manuel “Mango Ortega
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