Editor, The Smithfield Times:

Over the weekend, I received a mailer from Dick Grice regarding the upcoming election, and I wonder why he left out some details.

• Grice says the four challengers will take over as the majority. He fails to mention the current majority of Bowman, Pack, Collins and Gibbs, along with former member, “sign hiding” Rountree, are all Grice’s friends and the reason we have uncontrolled growth and backroom deals now.
• Grice says there is more to Smithfield than just downtown; there is also more to Smithfield than Cypress Creek, where Collins, Gibbs, Grice and Rountree live.  
• Grice talks about how the Historic District doesn’t pay much in taxes. So, I guess he thinks wealthy Cypress Creek folks should make all the decisions for us instead?
• Grice talks about the town having $14.5 million in the bank. He and his friends obviously want to give $6 million of our money to the Luters to help pay for their development. Yet, he realizes he actually tells people that is what they want to do; I wonder why?
• Grice tries to blame the tax increase on Mike Smith, but his friends were in the majority; they could have stopped it. Grice also fails to mention that Gibbs also voted for the tax increase. At least Mike Smith explained he wanted to help town employees who are falling behind; why won’t Collins and Gibbs explain some of their controversial votes?
• Grice wonders if we would still have some of the neighborhoods built over the past 20 years if people like Bebermeyer, Cutler Harris, and Smith were on the Town Council. Why didn’t he ask if we would have new developments like Mallory Point, the Grange, and Cottages at Battery instead?
• Lastly, Grice takes a couple of swipes at Times Publisher Steve Stewart. Well, I, for one, am glad we have people like Steve Stewart and his team to call out the terrible behavior of Grice, Rountree and Mayor Bowman.

 

Dottie Drake

Smithfield