To the Editor:

The last election made it quite clear that citizens of Ward 2, with their 3-to-1 vote for Mr. Benny Burgess, were not satisfied with their representation on the Franklin City Council.

Therefore, it is impossible for me to understand why the council would appoint a defeated candidate to represent the city of Franklin on any board, commission or committee that directly impacts the city, particularly with regard to finances.

I know of no senator or representative on the state or national level who has lost his election then kept his appointments to any boards,

committees or commissions. Likewise, in my entire life I have never known this to happen on the local level, and if it should be in our city bylaws, we should adopt one that prohibits such action.

Secondly, many of our citizens along with our new representatives on the council have begged council members to cut the budget, reduce salaries of upper-level employees and find other means of saving, but instead the outgoing council raised the budget and increased salaries. Again, the will of the people has been meaningless.

I feel that some are now entering their last two years on council unless they join our new council members to cut spending and look after the citizens who elected them to serve. They will soon have to run again!

Finally, I challenge the new council to reject the plans of the outgoing council and make board appointments from the active council members for positions such as SPSA and the Business Incubator, as well as any others that directly impact the city.

Since I am not likely to have any children or grandchildren who will ever live here, I have no ulterior motive for wanting my age group to leave a legacy that will help make Franklin a more wonderful community in which to live, raise a family and enjoy life. This is my motive for being involved in this, my hometown.

Dr. Robert Edwards

Franklin