Standing-room-only audience addresses Redwood County Board over refugee vote
On Jan. 7, the Redwood County Commissioners voted to consent to allow the federal government to settle refugees from other nations to settle in the county. And a standing-room-only audience attended Tuesday’s Redwood County Board meeting to let their views be known about that vote.
Many residents were concerned about what allowing more refugees might mean in terms of taxes and public safety. Redwood Falls resident Gene Swede suggested the federal goverment was using the refugees in a sort of con game:
Paul Sobocinski, a farmer near Wabasso , represented the other view:
Marie Meyers, of Southwest Health and Human Services, addressed the audience about the President’s executive order which prompted the vote, and it’s current status:
Several times toward the end of the meeting, many residents demanded the county board immediately vote to recind the Jan. 7 vote. One thing residents of both views agreed on was that the citizens of the county hadn’t been properly informed about what the vote meant, and asked for a public forum for the issue to be discussed for more public input.