In this time of economic downturn the city should be showing more fiscal accountability and courage. Instead I am watching our city pushing forward on expensive projects without justification or without money.

Recently the council voted to approve an annual budget without being shown numbers and answers to their questions.

Only two council members, Kathy Huckabay and Nancy Whitten, had the courage to refuse to vote on a budget they did not see and without having their questions answered. Shame on the other council members for not doing the same.

The city council and manager are now overseeing the start of Phase 1A of the parkway project, the most contested in the city’s history. To date, its benefits cannot be justified.

As council member Huckabay was quoted in the council meeting as say — after years of planning I am still asked every day a basic question that I still cannot answer.

Who on the council will be held accountable for the project?

The city has admitted that no commuter time savings will result, and the city now says the sidewalks are not done based on who will ever use them.

It is, also, now forcing the city to put in million dollar water filtration systems as a result of the concrete over the lake.

Will the other councillors tell the city why they voted for this project, and be held accountable for seeking results and effective use of our money? Every project requires demonstrable benefits.

Instead, in this time of downturn we have seen Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District raising rates 9 percent, and the City of Sammamish mulling over new ways to raise taxes to deal with rising expenses and dwindling revenues.

It also begs the question — Why are citizens allowed to vote against the Park Bond but not on the most expensive and most contested projects in city history?

The city council and city staff need to demonstrate that they are looking after our best interests, or else more citizen groups like Citizens for Sammamish will be looking at overseeing the council, and more citizens clamoring for a change will arise.

Ramiro Valderrama, Sammamish