To the Editor:

Bath city government is hiding facts from us about the sale of the old Bath hospital. We should know a lot more, and their refusal to tell us suggests they’ve been caught doing something they shouldn’t have.

The city assessed the property at more than $6.5 million for 2012. They sold the property for $799,000, $5.7 million less than the assessed value.

I’ve repeatedly asked the city manager and the two council members where I own property for information about how the value was set, if the property was ever advertised, and if the property was ever even listed. They wouldn’t answer. If you look at all the City Council minutes for 2013, the very first mention of this sale was the date of its approval.

The manager sent me to the city’s real estate agent, and he won’t answer either. When I finally sent a plea to all the council members for information, the only voice of reason has been David Sinclair, who urged the council on Sunday to delay completion of the sale until my questions and others are answered.

This whole situation smells funny. I want to know who is responsible, why the City Council allowed this travesty, and how they plan to fix it.

Bath City Council wants a 5 percent property tax increase this year to raise less than $1 million dollars. So they don’t have millions of dollars to throw away.

We all deserve full answers from our city government before this sale is completed. It’s our money being wasted. For all our sakes, I hope Mr. Sinclair’s proposal is followed and the sale is delayed.

Larry Scott
Bath