My Mistake

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Bold As Brass and Twice As Brazen .....11":

Evelyn you wrote, "The motion received a seconder and passed with only one member opposed. Moi" We know your MO is to be the single negative vote.., not this time Paul Pirri voted Nay with you.

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Thank You for that information and my apologies to Councillor Pirri.

I take no pride  in frequently being the only negative vote.As a practising politician  I  am always aware that eight people at the table in agreement is far more persuasive than a lone dissent.

I don't do it to impress anyone else. I do it so that I  keep faith with the people who elected me and  live with myself.

It is a comfort and assurance  to know the youngest person at the table made the same judgment as myself on the question of giving away $5K of the taxpayers money. We  may have arrived at the  same
decision for different reasons. But  that only helps to confirm my convictions.

In retrospect, had there been an indication the resolution was coming forward, I should have asked for a recorded vote.As it was, there was no notice. The motion was not in writing. No rationale.was offered.
Nothing about it, including the question of budget, followed the normal process

The motion included a waiver of user fees for the band shell and park facilities.I did not know that until I read it in the press.

In 2004, during budget discussions, I asked the Treasurer of the day, how much is the town's share of the tax levy on  an average home? The answer was $700.

My  guess it would be about  $750.now.   So, $5,000. of the tax levy is  the equivalent of the town's share of taxes  from  at least six average homes.

Six families will pay their taxes, some easily, some with hardship, and  council just gave it away to people who offered no proof that they are who they say they are.

You know,I can't help feeling there's something wrong about that.

During the last  term, it was par for the course. The Mormac regime had a coterie of friends and followers who asked and received.

They all saw it as the road to political longevity

They were wrong.

It seemed  clear to me the electorate wanted something different.