Sesquicentennial Rocks

 On Tuesday, Council defeated the recommendation to spend $100.ks. t on a sesquicentennial celebration.
The money was earned interest from the hydro fund. Apparently, during some budget or other we created  "Council's Discretionary Reserve Fund" .
On Tuesday someone said it is $3 million.That was corrected to   $1.3 million.
This year's tax increase was over 4%.. The water rate increase was 6%.
$1.3 million would have wipe out that tax increase.
Council's pin money.
I still couln't have supported 
Nothing could emphasize affluence more  than such an amount set aside to spend on whatever takes Council's  fancy.
The decision  about the party was changed because people  let  Councillors know they didn't want money spent like thatand enough Councillors listened. 
That was  a very good thing.
It's the second issue that has been changed by Council listening to people.
It didn't have anything to do with a Communications department set up at great expense.
It had to do with Councillors being out and about, going where people are and listening to what they have to say.
We must take heart from it and recognise our own power. 
There's a long way to go.
Meetings are becoming quite bizarre.
The Clerk has not  been in his chair for several meetings.
The Director of Environment and Infrastructure has been engrossed in  reading on his laptop for the last three meetings.Gone With The Wind maybe.
The Treasurer is inclined to  mix in on Council's debate. 
When the line is crossed into the political arena,certain holds are unbarred.
Citizens awards night, usually held at this time, had been re-scheduled until November, was recommended  not to be held and picked up again next Spring.
The advice was rejected. Now there will have to be a scramble to  organise the event..
It's another fifty year tradition. A night when Council recognises hundreds of people who make all kinds of good things happen in the community
.It's a cheerful, joyful occasion when the town hall is filled with children, flowers, balloons and smiling faces and all present feel good about the world we live in.
Tuesday night on the other hand was perplexing.
We invited people to a party and we didn't go. 
There was  a feeling of things coming apart at the seams. 
Not torn apart with tons of hostility. 
Just a gentle unraveling.
Coming undone
Nobody  home. .
Nobody in charge.
Everybody at sixes and sevens.
I've never seen that before.