Dear editor, Let’s continue the conversation! First, may I say thank you to each one who came out on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 29, for our Eastside Conversation at The Office Steakhouse. Thank you to our citizens, fellow elected officials who were able to be in attendance, other county elected officials, business owners, church leaders and our city employees; all of whose presence served as a testimony to the desire in our community to create a better city for everyone.
Some thoughts have come to my mind in the hours following this time together, which I would like to share here: First, being better at communicating should be a goal that all of us aspire to, whether as speakers, listeners, readers, consumers, etc. You may choose to opt-in or opt-out on social media, EverBridge, as a reader of The Rockdale Reporter, listener to KXRT 98.5, attending meetings, or any of the other many avenues that are utilized to communicate news about our good town. I would encourage all our citizens to connect with as many of these outlets as possible.
Second, our cit y is flush with needs: safety and security, roads, parks, the homeless. However, we are also a city with limited financial resources to address every issue to the extent that we desire. In addition to the City of Rockdale, local churches and ministries, the Senior Center, the Texas Workforce Office, the Rockdale ISD, the Chamber of Commerce, the Municipal Development District, the Rockdale Downtown Association, the Lions Club, the Rotary Club, etc., all play an integral role in making our community a better place.
Jesus reminded us in Matthew 26:11, that we will always have the poor amongst us. There are local, state and federal programs which can assist some people with some issues. However, I would suggest that there are limits to what our local government can and should do regarding the homeless. I believe that we must navigate carefully around this issue and avoid a “build it and they will come” community. Quite frankly, the homeless population inherently bring a whole slew of social needs that may be beyond what we can serve. On this, may we be able to respectfully agree to disagree. In the process, may we continue to keep open the lines of respectful communication with one another, and strive to find solutions for this and other issues.
Sincerely, Dave Melton Council Member for the East Ward and the City of Rockdale
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