In regard to Rob’s Rant in the July 17th edition, I wish I could say I’m shocked or at least surprised, but circumstances regarding City Hall have been much the same for decades. It would seem attitudes in this building are inherited moving along with each new generation of bureaucrats. It would be nice to clean up the swamp…
There are some messy issues and questions are being raised regarding overreach of this council, by committing “our” resources without gaining approval from the taxpayers. It seems that they just go along and do things without even discussing or advising the [resident taxpayers.]
- They [the city] bought the old Union Hospital and then turned around and demolished it. At what cost and with what goal in mind? Where did the money come from? A lot of folks were hoping it could be turned into a seniors’ residence, but no discussion took place that is known of.
- A Surplus Fund exists that once totaled $100 Million but seems to have been lowered to $76 Million during this council’s term. Where did the $24 Million go? How about the interest these funds generate? Where is it? Why are we continually paying for infrastructure improvements when we have already paid a pretty significant amount to look after these expenses?…($100Million) Dollars…Dollars which are not being used and are being eaten up by inflation, which according to The Bank Of Canada ran at 43.94 per cent between the years 2000 and 2019.
- Disregarding citizens' wishes: They [the city] surveyed the taxpayers regards the location of Mosaic Place and disregarded the results. They even went to outside sources paying for their report and then disregarded it as well, because it agreed with the taxpayers.
The Municipalities Act provides the basic legislative framework for Saskatchewan’s southern municipalities. Council members must know and comply with Federal and provincial legislation, laws and codes.
Public notice bylaw is adopted and public notice in required prior to considering any of the following:
- Borrowing money
- Selling or leasing land for less than fair market value and without a public offering
- Setting remuneration for members of council
- Any report with respect to special taxes
- Using any excess revenue generated from taxes
There are numerous other responsibilities but these few seem to cover my concerns. If problems persist, it may require contact with our Ombudsman. This office will investigate complaints and render decisions.
- K.J.(Ken) Wright,
A concerned citizen
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
