City Council has ordered the City of Columbia Mounted Patrol Unit to be disbanded in 30 days as a “cost saving measure.” This makes no sense on several levels.

First, the City is required to pay the lease on the barn through June 2010, all feed and supplies have already been purchased for the horses for the next year, and the horses are all up–to–date on vet care for a year. Very little additional expenditures would be required to allow the unit to continue.

City Council previously agreed to let Chief Carter research and secure outside funding to keep the unit running, but last week reneged on that agreement and ordered the unit disbanded, even though Chief Carter had already begun to acquire outside funding. It seems someone on council wants the Unit gone before the next city elections.

One has to wonder why council has such a vendetta against the one CPD unit that can be the most effective means of patrolling the city’s troubled parks. The city will lose money already invested in the unit and will never recoup what it has spend on equipment.

Thankfully, the horses all have homes to return to, as 30 days is not adequate time to find good homes for horses in this economy. And, with the push towards going green, this unit could lead the way.

Once again, City Council is making haphazard financial decisions.

Laura A. Thomas