Ambuja Rosen: It seems to me that at least some of the time, the City Council is a yes-man for top staff. Not just the top staff who want Ashlanders to fund their substantial and frequent raises. But also the police chief, who has gotten council to “yes” him twice as he increasingly buckles down on our homeless citizens.

Sean McEnroe: Of course, if you’re a busy person, you could save a little time by using a leaf blower — neighbors be damned — or you could pay landscapers to make the noise for you.

John Marciano and Leslie Dwyer: There will be less money to pay for food programs here and across the country. This is an inhumane treatment of struggling families. At the same time, the U.S. has spent billions supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

George Kramer: Passing this amendment is a reasonable way for voters to assure Council will be more thoughtful before extracting dollars from ratepayers. It’s not “horrible.” It’s democracy. Sadly, that is something currently in short supply.