When I wrote the post on the plan to tax all property owners to provide support to those
within a "Community Improvement Plan" , I received a comment.
"Aargh! Enough already."
It typifies a political hazard .
How many fights can one engage before being tagged with negativity,
It would be easier to go along to get along.
It would be simpler to cast a negative vote and say nothing that can be held against one.
Or comment that sound like you're leaning one way and vote the opposite.
If there's no recorded vote, claim the expedient position according to who you might be talking to
any given moment.
They are all strategies to confound one's enemies and cover one's ass.
I'm not an artful dodger. The risk is mine to take and I've never been able to avoid it.
There was a question about membership on
the Economic Development Advisory Committee.
Councillor Thompson is Chairman. I think he works for a pharmaceutical Company.I'm not sure of his responsibilities.
Councillor Abel is a member. He works at Westview Golf Course. That's how he knows so much about trees and why they matter .
The Mayor is ex officio on all committees . He attends EDC meetings regularly.
I believe he was partner in a consultant business.
Councillor Pirri attends meetings as well.
Citizen members names should be listed on the web site. Not sure if work background
is also listed.
The Community Improvement Plan on to-night's agenda went to the committee before it came to Council.
We had another million dollar spending proposal on the agenda to-night,
The Sports Dome was our venture into public-private partnership. It is not a success story.
The Dome is erected over a soccer field owned by the town. The Town bought it from the Legion.
The field was not taxable.
The agreement with the Dome owner relieved him of responsibility for all taxes.
On the basis there were none.
Turned out commercial operation on the land made it taxable and the town has been paying through the nose since; $50,000 taxes to the Region and Board of Education.
It's a twenty year agreement. At the end the town will have forked out a cool million. But I think I heard to-night, we become the proud owners of whatever is left standing or should I say floating.
Also heard to-night the accoutrement has a life of twenty -five years.
The main beneficiary of the agreement has been another business; Aurora Youth Soccer Club.
We are seven years into the agreement and out $350,000.
Staff were directed to review with a view to reversing the original error.
The report suggests an option of the town purchasing the Dome at a potential cost of $1.1 million.
The discussion calls for another post.
"How many fights can one engage before being tagged with negativity"
ReplyDeleteIt depends if one fights FOR something, or if one is always fighting AGAINST something. In your case, that horse named Negativity left the barn decades ago.
Someone made it clear last night that by the time the town was in a decent fiscal spot with the Dome it would be years past its best before day.
ReplyDeleteI think that " aargh " might have been from someone experiencing over-load of information that day.
ReplyDeleteOnce more I heard that tired refrain from Council, particularly Cllr Thompson, that they had to ' communicate better ' so that residents would understand how well the council was acting in their interests. He did that same thing with the Joint-Ops plan.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this one is the fault of rotten communications. Those I have spoken to about several of these big ticket items seem to understand just fine. & they don't much like the direction in which their taxes are heading.
ReplyDeleteAll these $25,000 and $50,000 and $100,000, and even $200,000 things, are just nickel and dime items when related to a total budget of $75,000,000.
If the townspeople are not upset why should members of council give a damn?
After all, its not their money that they're spending!
They don't seem overly concerned.
OK this fits the topic
ReplyDeleteThe Auroran was closed for tech check-up so I have just got to it.
What do we do if there is a provincial election ? Two candidates for the Conservatives have had to pull out. And there seems to be only one running for the Liberals.
Please advise if you are able to comment. Otherwise it can certainly wait.
Video
ReplyDelete"
Two guys in Hovercraft rescue deer stuck on frozen lake "
11:35
ReplyDeleteDid you read Mayor Dawe in the Auroran ? I don't know who is writing his material [ and hope I am not paying for it ] but he is not talking about the AuroraI see. The budget is a joke and most of the councillors are participants.
Cllr Ballard wants to blow the $1,000, 000.00 on the purchase of the Dome ' to protect the 4000 kids ' who play. Are they faced with being in ' dire straits ' ? Or is it the votes of their parents in play. Just asking
ReplyDelete@18:10
ReplyDeleteI think it's on U-tube now. Great stuff
I saw that video, 18:10. Um, do you think this is Facebook or something?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete23:18
Deer on ice better than Albino in wreck.