LETTER TO THE EDITOR: People should know truth if commenting on Olanta

I am truly saddened by people posting non-factual comments about the town of Olanta and its previous mayors. The town records are open to the public; you can view this information for yourself. Get the facts!

Olanta was not on the verge of filing bankruptcy when Betty Sims became mayor. The town was in the process of bankruptcy in the mid 1990s, but that never came to be, and that was from the Lake City/Olanta sewer lawsuit. The town has all this information on file and open to public. 

Betty Sims is “former administration”; she served on council for 12 years prior to becoming mayor. She did not step in off the street to save the day; she was already there. Just like now, council and mayor voted on everything. The “I don’t remember” needs to stop.  Review the minutes from past council meetings and don’t go on hearsay.

Financially, Olanta struggles on all parts. It is not because of how funds are handled; it is because funds are limited. There should be no blame game; facts are facts. Olanta and other small towns struggle with finances because of limited resources. That is just the way it is. 

Review the town’s records and look back in history. Olanta was once a booming town; financially, it was in much better shape. A great deal has gone on in previous years, and you can go back a few mayors and councils to see where the struggles started. It is not one person who caused Olanta to change; it is a collection of events.

Olanta may never be the same as it once was. I have wonderful memories of Olanta, but it could be more than it is. We have good people in Olanta who have a great deal to offer, but don’t know where to go. The town hall should be the place for any person or group to walk in and find out what is going on in Olanta. If not, where do we go?

Sherry Thompson
Former Olanta town clerk