Our city council’s recent action to send a letter to Harrisburg and PennDOT requesting they halt the construction of the roundabout is embarrassing, to say the least. It is very symbolic, too.

It has been said many times that this is the first city council that has had the opportunity to run on the issue of what to do to address the aging infrastructure at our city’s busiest intersection. So, my letter to the editor does not address our mayor’s or council members’ actions. They are simply doing what they promised to do. I give them credit for that.

Unfortunately, my fellow city residents feel that the roundabout is a bigger issue than Warren County’s declining population since the 1970s. They feel the roundabout is a bigger issue than blighted properties in the middle of our downtown corridor, just waiting to become a new thriving business.

They feel the roundabout is a bigger issue than our largest employers getting so desperate to hire talent that they look outside of Warren County to expand. They feel the roundabout is more of an issue than finding ways to improve our county’s economy so our school district doesn’t have to raise property taxes just to have the same amount of revenue. They feel the roundabout is a bigger issue than a state-of-the-art distribution center sitting mostly vacant. They feel the roundabout is a bigger issue than half of our city smelling like rotten eggs for an entire weekend or more.

I’m rooting for the continuous improvement of our city. We just need to start focusing on the real and pressing issues. Let go of the roundabout. Embrace improvements. Once we learn how to turn right, we’ll be OK.

Rocco DelPrince is a Warren resident.