Paul Richardson: Where is this road leading, Part Two

Another week has passed, and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. If it is this difficult with only one person involved, how difficult is it with a hundred or a thousand voices involved?

The very practical and common solution is to resort to a political process that reduces the voices of the many to a limited number of representatives.

In the case of Neosho that is reduced to the five people who represent you on the City Council. There are times however, that even the council will come back to the masses that selected them for input. At that moment the voices of the many become critical. It is only heard if everyone participates.

This coming November the citizens of the City of Neosho will have an opportunity to engage in providing the City Council input on a couple of items. 

One item will be an issue that is a condition of employment for the City Manager. Currently anyone employed as the City Manager must live within the City Limits. There are a plethora of reasons supporting a positive argument for this requirement and in contrast an equivalent number of reasons for disposing of this requirement. 

As we move forward with this short series of articles these points will be discussed. One short note on this, I am not and will not be an applicant or candidate for this position or any further employment with the City. 

The good wife and I have entered an entirely new phase of life and one of the conditions of this new phase is that we stay free and flexible. If we want to take off for a few days or at a random time, we can do that now. 

As I am writing this article, I am sitting in the Frontier Hotel in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

The other item that will be presented on the November ballet deals with the Use Tax. I know that the tax word sends most people running, but this is not a new tax. In fact, it ensures that the City of Neosho will continue to receive tax that it is currently receiving from items purchased online or at other remote locations. Again, this is an item that will be discussed in depth as we continue with this current series.

Since I am no longer filling a position with the City, I have avoided addressing issues that are specifically the responsibility of the citizens and City Council. However, there are many passionate people who dearly love Neosho and the workings of the City, who live in the community just outside the City Limits. 

Where do we draw community lines? Is there a wall at the City Limit? A quick examination of the facts will reveal many people who are business leaders, influencers, property owners, business owners, or in some other area of involvement with the community but live in the county. 

Personally, we have been very busy marketing and promoting Neosho on Missouri Tourism sites and through Social Media since early spring.

There are many items that those of us who live in the county do not take advantage of or participate in. These items are exclusively reserved for the citizens that live inside the City Limits and include some items that are of a political nature and others that involve the disposition of revenues that are reserved for use by the City. 

No one in the county wants to diminish these items, but we do want to seen Neosho prosper and be the focal point for Newton County. This will happen as Neosho advances in business, the general welfare of the citizens, the appearance of the city, the ability to bring in tourism and visitors, as well as many other things. It is not a single item that will bring this success, but a well-executed combination of these items. 

When visitors, whether tourist or business, receive a good Neosho experience, it opens the door for future success. This will work best with the full support and involvement of the community. It is up to the citizens of Neosho to decide if this community-at-large is of enough value to include as the new history develops.

So, where will this road lead? It is up to all of us to find the road that will lead to a successful future for the City of Neosho.