"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 29 April 2015

MEMORY IS AN ASSET

It's amazing how much a memory stores. Yesterday, I re-called the evening the Chief Financial,Officer stalked out of a council meeting. 

The issue being discussed was annual increases to water rates.

I cited  that water is a public utility. It is also publicly owned natural resource. 

I drew comparison with other utilities and noted 
Corporations such as hydro, natural gas, radio,
television and telephone are all compelled to seek approval and provide justification for increases to rates. 
I suggested a total  lack of justification would not be well received by the government agency charged with responsibility for giving approvals. 

At that point the treasurer it seemed  perceived he had been maligned and with a few pointed words along those lines, took his leave.

The Mayor turned in my direction apparently seeking a response to the treasurer's discomfiture. 

I suggested the video tape be viewed with particular attention to audio. A recess followed presumably to do just that. The CAO circled the table and the other directors left. 

The CFO returned to the table at the next meeting. He apologized to Council for his precipitate departure of the previous week. 

I never received an apology. 

But more significantly, neither did I ever receive a satisfactory explanation of why the price of water continued to escalate at an exorbitant rate each and every year.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The thing is, he's still got a seat at the table.

Anonymous said...



It would appear that most commenters have departed for the first day of the turkey hunting season.

I always thought there were lots of turkeys in Aurora.

Anonymous said...

These public utilities continue to rise....because nobody stops them. Councils continue to bow down to their staff across the country. Why? because they have to justify staffs "professional expertise" and the exorbitant amount of money municipalities pay out in consultants,studies and salaries. What was witnessed by our council in regards to the training fund was really something out of the ordinary. If we can only continue that kind of questioning of tax payers money more often.