Politics & Government

Letter: Council Candidate Tim Rood Says He Was Misquoted

Editor's note: The following letter was submitted for publication by Tim Rood, a candidate for the Piedmont City Council in the Feb. 4, 2014, municipal election.

To Whom It May Concern:

A January 15, 2014 article in the Piedmont Post entitled "City Council candidates provide some answers in League-led forum," contains two significant errors. The article both misidentified and misquoted me, and in doing so distorted the substance of my response to a question at the forum about fire department staffing levels. 

First, I was not a member of the Municipal Tax Review Committee (MTRC), which completed its work in 2011. I am  a member of the City's Budget Advisory & Financial Planning Committee.

The direct quotation attributed to me in the article omitted, without ellipsis, the core of my response: that, following the recommendation of the MTRC to consider service efficiencies in all departments, including fire, the Council had later asked the then-fire chief for his opinion, and that he had responded that he would not recommend reducing fire staffing levels. That opinion by former Chief Tubbs is what I referred to when I said we had a new chief now but nothing had changed significantly. 

Piedmont's high-quality public services are essential to its high quality of life, and I deeply regret any confusion the Post's misquotation may have caused among voters regarding my position on an essential public service at a time when many ballots are being cast. 

I urge Piedmont voters to view the KCOM rebroadcasts or the online video of the candidate forum, which is available on the City of Piedmont website under KCOM/On-Line Video/Other Public Meetings, to hear my complete and unedited response to this and other questions. 

Tim Rood

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