To the editor:

It’s time that the politics of fear and mistrust and paranoia that seem to be originating from one section of Crestwood come to an end.

We can’t afford to bury our heads in the sand and wait for our problems to pass as a small minority of citizens and leaders seems to endorse.

At the board meeting on March 8, an en-tirely independent and unbiased accounting firm stated that the city, under the leadership of Mayor Fagan, is now doing well in addressing and confronting the past issues that have left us in the position we have found ourselves over the last couple of years. Furthermore, the accounting firm indicated that we need to be aggressive in managing our finances, including paying off outstanding debts and beginning to build a reserve.

Even the recently released state audit indicated that the board needed to “develop a long-range plan which will allow the city to reduce its expenditures and/or increase its revenues.” Previously, the board, with the exception of Alderman Miguel of Ward 3, approved a workable and acceptable plan to do just that in the form of Proposition 1 that would allow for the sale of general obligation bonds. Mr. Fagan’s opponent, supported by Mr. Miguel, claims to have another plan the details of which have only been shared with an inner circle of confidants.

To my knowledge, we have a mayor, six aldermen — with the noticeable exception of both Aldermen from Ward 3 — a city administration and even your own publication that are focused on and supporting efforts to move this city forward. Yet, we continue to be prevented from doing so because a minority faction hiding behind misinformation and innuendo uses scare tactics to paint a false picture.

As a father raising three young children, I implore Crestwood voters to see through the fog this faction creates and allow this city to move forward by re-electing Mayor Fagan and approving Prop 1. We can’t afford to go backward.

Chris Pickel

Crestwood