To the editor:

In the July 29 edition of the Marion County Record, I read with interest Commissioner Dan Holub’s guest commentary, “County development bylaw changes are only proposals.”

Commissioner Holub stated in this article that “Another comment was, if it’s not broke don’t fix it.”

I want to identify myself as the person who made this comment. I was asked for my opinion by Commissioner Randy Dalke.

I stated during my six years on the Marion County Economic Development Council, I could not remember one time that the large towns voted negatively against something that would benefit any smaller town in the county.

Marion County Economic Development Director Teresa Huffman then stated that since she has been involved with MCEDC that had never happened.

I went on to say that it didn’t matter to me what the commission and council did. I was only giving my opinion as asked, nothing more.

Commissioner Holub also wrote: “If people take offense at what I consider reasonable proposals and want to vote with their feet, so be it.” I can only assume he is referring to the four Marion members of the council who resigned. The July 15 issue of the Hillsboro Free Press stated: “Last month, four MCEDC members appointed by the City of Marion resigned their positions in protest of the proposed changes”.

I would propose that if anyone has an interest in reading the resignation letters from these four individuals, which are considered public record, they are available at the City of Marion office. (The Free Press was given copies of these letters.) Not one of these letters refers to resigning under protest for the proposed changes or that they were voting with their feet.

I can assure you that the bylaw changes were a small part of the reason for the resignations of these four individuals — two bankers, a successful businesswoman, and a volunteer extraordinaire here in Marion.

Before judging Marion’s volunteers, I would invite anyone to personally talk with individuals and ask them their reasons for resigning and not make assumptions.

David Mayfield
Marion

(Editor’s note: The Marion County Record quoted the resignation letters in its July 1 edition. They stated “recent decisions and actions … have further divided communities in the county” and that the resigning members could not support an organization “that does not have the confidence that they are truly for the betterment of Marion and Marion County.” )