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In the past few months, the actions and comments made by Wilkes-Barre City Mayor George Brown are both concerning and erratic.

First, he directed deliberate and insulting comments directed toward the only woman member of City Council, Councilwoman Beth Gilbert-McBride, regarding her taking of health insurance benefits for her family which to she is entitled.

Secondly, he walked out of the city council meeting when his budget was voted down by a 3 to 2 vote. No reason for him to stay, he said. What happened to “I will always listen to the residents’ concerns?”

Residents call in with their comments and questions at the end of the meeting, not only for council but for the mayor also. Perhaps he cannot handle listening to residents calling in with disparaging remarks about him any longer. Could it be his “my way or the highway” ego dictates his actions and responses? How dare some council members actually fulfill their legislative responsibility and question his budget? His continued offensive comments to council members, calling them incompetent and that council’s response to his budget veto was “grade-school” bantering is unprofessional and an embarrassment at the least.

At the council meeting, Brown also told council members Brooks, Gilbert-McBride and Marconi that they had no financial or business background and therefore were incapable of realizing the impact of making these amendments to the budget. Within days, he turns around, calls it “council’s budget” and tells them to make every line item change to the new amount in all the categories they were amending.

So first, they have no business background but now you want them to do the job of your administration and finance department? Which is it mayor? Then he miraculously sees after the last council vote on the new amended budget, that the numbers don’t look right.

Newspaper articles say that the finance director knew the numbers didn’t look right prior to that meeting. So, the mayor didn’t know this until after the meeting on Tuesday night?

Why, for the first time in almost a year, did he not say one word at that special meeting to ask council again to not approve that budget and ever mention the surplus that was supposedly found by his finance department? Perhaps more evidence of vindictiveness to withhold that information in trying to discredit council members.

Linda Joseph

Wilkes-Barre