Extension of Washington city limits leaves some without representation

Posted 4/20/22

I’m writing in concern with how the city of Washington has extended the city limits in a two-mile radius leaving anyone in that purgatory without representation.

I’ll give a good …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Extension of Washington city limits leaves some without representation

Posted

I’m writing in concern with how the city of Washington has extended the city limits in a two-mile radius leaving anyone in that purgatory without representation.

I’ll give a good example. The city of Washington has a road project on Buchanan which affects my folks (Keith and Sara Murphy). The city’s contractors are trespassing in his field with livestock in which they may get hurt. They’ve cut his fences having NO EASEMENT and put a 19-inch large cement tile into his pasture dumping into his creek with no regard to the livestock and his fence. They have torn up his fields with promises to fix and never have. They had an agreement signed in 1957 allowing the city easement to access the sewer plant, stating if the road is abandoned it would transfer back to the folks, but the city won’t honor it because they state it’s over 20 years old.

My mom and I met with the city the other day to discuss the problems. Instead of a solution we were verbally accosted by a city employee, Mr. Hinkle, who accused my father of blackmailing the city for a new fence, which is not true. Mr. Hinkle was yelling at my mom, getting red faced with a loud voice which upset my 82-year-old mother so much she got up and walked out.

Here’s where the problem lies. There is no city representation because their farm is Agricultural. His representative from the Supervisor’s office can’t do anything because it sits in the city limits which leaves them with NO RIGHT FOR REPRESENTATION, which was taken away by the city.

I urge citizens to contact the city council and ask them to repeal the two-mile radius and honor agreements that their forefathers agreed to.

 

Mike Murphy

Brighton, Iowa