I have lived and worked in the Auburn most of my life. I reside on property my parents purchased in 1942. The hype over the arrest of the mayor is really a reflection of much deeper problems that the city has with its image.

Auburn has one of the highest tax rates in the state. It can’t or doesn’t want to pay its educators, fire fighters or police wages and benefits that compare to what other large cities are paying. The city keeps raising taxes while, at the same time, they are taking away services like the annual spring cleanup. Yet at the same time, they are pouring all kinds of money into the downtown with a new city hall and unusual awnings flying over Main Street.

Why would anyone want to move to Auburn to live, work or start a business when people are leaving the city because they can’t afford to live here any longer.

It is unfortunate that the arrest of our mayor appears to be the result of bad feelings between the city officials and the police department. This should serve as a wake-up call.

It took years of poor management to bring the city from one of the best cities to live in to one of the worst. It will also take years to reverse this trend. It is now time for the city to start making living conditions better and be less concerned about the costly facelift of the downtown.

Kenneth Lord, Auburn