What on earth is going on when:

1. Approximately three years ago, a city attorney, city Manager and the entire Homer City Council decided to levy an unlawful, excessive assessment on a large portion of its residents?

2. Those residents protest and are totally ignored by that same city attorney, city manager and city council.

3. One resident takes the case to Superior Court and wins in January 2014. The city is ordered by the Superior Court to correct the city’s ordinance. The city attorney decides not to appeal even though he thinks the judge made a mistake.

4. One year later, nothing has changed. But, the city manager and city attorney recommend the city council make the corrections to the condo assessments.

5. The city council chooses to ignore both the judge’s order and the recommendations of the city manager and attorney and they only correct one condo lot. They mail out the “final” assessment list … knowing every single assessment is wrong.

6. The court orders the city and city officials to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court.  They do nothing.

7. Weeks later, on April 3, the Superior Court judge issues a sharp rebuke to the “City and any culpable City Officials.” The court again orders the city to fully comply and correct the “arbitrary, unreasonable and unlawful” assessments.

Our city council members are Homer residents; caring, intelligent people. Why was Bryan Zak the only one who questioned what was going on? Who shut him down? And why didn’t a single council member question the legal advice of the city attorney when the council knew it was taking them to court? If they thought the city attorney was right, then why did they not make the corrections when that same attorney recommended they do so?

Amy Springer