City Council 'Ring Master' - Al Kenning

Ever Wonder What City Council Does??

Me Too!

I have attended just about every city council regular and committee of the whole meeting for going on five years now, and can honestly say the real purpose of city council is a mystery.

For the most part city councilors occupy their places like so many bumps on a log and barely open their mouths during an entire council meeting. Should a member of the public raise a question, nine times out of ten, the Mayor will immediately defer to staff for an answer.

This council has now had the $851,000,000.00, 5 year financial plan in their hands since last December, and to date they have not had any discussion or debate regards this major document. With the exception of voting down Councilor Bestwick's motion to have staff find up to a 5% reduction in taxes, they have said nothing about it.

The only two comments made I can remember came from Councilor Greves who was bemoaning the fact taxes aren't high enough now, and Councilor Brennan declaring there is no sign of taxpayer fatigue in Nanaimo.

Does city council think that whatever Mr. Kenning and company put forward is beyond scrutiny? Do they actually fill their roles of providing policy directions to staff, or is it really the other way around?

Perhaps it is time to consider doing away with council and electing city managers instead, making them directly responsible for the decisions they are making. This would hold them accountable to the public who would get rid of them if they are unhappy with their performance and find someone else to fill those $200,000+ per year jobs.