Sound Off is a recurring featuring appearing in Sunday editions of The News Courier. Those wishing to sound off should email comments to NewsCourierSoundOff@gmail.com. Published entries cannot be longer than 100 words. Entries exceeding that amount will be edited for space/content. Please keep in mind the following: Not all items sent to the Sound Off column are published. Items that mention a person or business by name are discarded, unless the person mentioned is a public figure and the item is not a personal attack on that person. Items that have not been published within one month are typically discarded.

I don’t think the mayor and council should be spending $1.2 million on a dilapidated chicken processing plant to satisfy a few, when we have more pressing needs in the city. Traffic is backing up from one traffic light to the next traffic light. Seems dangerous with no plan for the future. It isn’t caused by just the railroad overpass. If the chicken plant is such a good deal private developers will purchase it.

Limestone County Water Authority is over $90 million in debt and just spent $21 million to run a pipeline under the Tennessee River to purchase water from the city of Decatur at a cheaper price instead of purchasing from the city of Athens. Has anyone on the water board calculated how many years it will take to save $21 million or if we even need it? There is a current lawsuit against the water board by previous employees. We have the highest water price in the area. I would say we need a new water board.