Monday, February 18, 2013

Councilor Anderson Adopts $851,000,000.00 Budget


Councilor George Anderson Provokes Councilor Jim Kipp

Usually council meetings rank right up there with watching paint dry and grass grow, as there is hardly any debate or discussion about most issues. As a matter of fact I have long since suspected council had already made up their minds during what Councilor Sherry used to call the 'rehearsal' as there is most often zero discussion about anything.

Not so, when it came to the adoption of the $851,000,000.00 five year financial plan which councilors Kipp, Bestwick and McKay opposed as there has been no public debate on the matter and likely little in-camera debate either. Councilors Greves, Pattje, Anderson and Mayor Ruttan voted in favour of giving final adoption to the financial plan.

It gives little comfort and zero confidence in councilors who are willing to officially adopt a $851,000,000.00 financial plan without any public discussion, deliberation or debate.

Councilor Anderson seemed to be making the case for his support of the $851,000,000.00 budget based solely on the fact that it had always been done that way before. He then went on to scold other councilors for not adopting the $851,000,000.00 financial plan saying he was confused why they seemed reluctant to continue doing things as they had before.

In a controlled, heated explanation Councilor Kipp went on to try and clear up Councilor Anderson's confusion by itemizing all the reasons the budget is not the same as it has always been.

I repeat, it gives little comfort to witness a council willing to rubber stamp an $851,000,000.00 budget without any public discussion. It could be some councilors are reluctant to debate the budget for fear of exposing their own lack of understanding of the matter.

allvoices

1 comment:

  1. Disturbing in a word. Perhaps this will spur local taxpayers to become more involved in the nest election. Most will tire of the coming 4-5% property tax hikes budgeted.

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