Unfriendly, poorly run and over-priced.
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10/13/2011
I've lived in this community for a long time, and I am part of generations who came before me that called this town home. Unfortunately the past 20 years have not been so kind. While the community has grown, it's leaders have made poor decisions in securing the town's future long-term. Currently (2011), housing rates are almost twice that of surrounding communities, while the school spends below the national average per student. The majority of the funds seem to go to unnecessary cosmetic projects and the local police budget, of which even the current Chief of Police lives outside of town and thus does not pay any city taxes (his current home was recently assessed at almost a half million dollars which isn't too bad for a public servant with no degree). The police also have little formal training and/or experience, yet they have the latest equipment and get new vehicles annually. They seem to generate revenue by pulling over out-of-towners for going 2 miles an hour. They are also currently being sued by one of the local businesses for harassing patrons coming out of the bar & grill. It was also reported that the WPD even attempted to arrest a man who was leaving a bar that serves as one of only two remaining restaurants on the city square for being intoxicated in public. It turned out the man had MS.
The Holden's family have been more than generous with their donations to the city that enable the community to build a new recreation center, baseball and softball fields, intermediate school, private golf course, and many other fantastic luxuries that most communities do not have and will never get. The problem is that when the city accepted these gifts they blew all of the money on building these things and saved none of it for maintaining the structures. The golf course was losing money within a couple of years so they began offering "social memberships" allowing non-members to drink in the clubhouse bar, but not enjoy any golf privileges. So, basically it is a 100 dollar cover charge.
Also, the auto manufacturing plant has been on the verge of closing since 2009, and was shut down for a stretch of time since then. It was announced that Magna had planned on closing it sometime in 2011 or 2012, but they continue to run limited production at the site. That plant had been a reliable source of jobs in the area for over 25 years. The local outlet mall is almost entirely staffed by out-of-town help, working mothers, and high school kids. Most of the elitist soccer moms of Williamsburg would stoop to such a lowly service job.
That brings up my last point...this used to be a small, tight-knit community in the middle of farmland. Today, it is trying really hard to act like suburbia. As a bedroom community for Iowa City, a lot of people have come here for the 20 minute commute, and lower county taxes, but no one knows each other anymore. Neighbors don't acknowledge one another, and kids bully kids from other cliques. There were no cliques when I was in school there because there weren't enough kids to choose from. Everybody just hung out with everybody.
Chad | Williamsburg, IA