In October, we voted for a new city council. We should now be able to see if they live up to promises made during their campaigns.
The mayor and council all made different promises on how much they’d increase property taxes. Some said they’d keep the increase to a minimum, others said they wouldn’t go higher than the inflation rate and a couple of them even said they wouldn’t go any higher than 1.5 per cent. Reaching these goals will require a thorough review of budget items to determine what they should spend our money on. It’s unlikely there will be room for more statues, or digging up sports fields and sewer lines in Riel Park, more public buildings or expanding Servus Credit Union Place. With that kind of spending $40,000 for the RCMP musical ride seems like a good bargain, or is it? Is it possible they could focus their spending on things like roads and the sewers, which is what cities are supposed to be doing with our tax dollars in the first place.
When council considers spending proposals, I’m sure it’s worth their time to look at whether or not there is a good return on some of these projects, and how can they tell what we actually get out of them is worth what we put into them. Mayor Nolan Crouse has talked about wanting to improve communications with the public. Requiring this type of information from administration and providing it to the public would probably be a good place to start.
Don’t get me wrong; in some cases we are in fact getting good results for our money. I’m also glad to see council’s started to take a harder look at just how much all these fancy new projects cost us. I know some people think things like the sculptures and Servus Place are important to the city. The problem is that most people I know don’t agree. They think the city should spend our tax money a lot more efficiently, on more important things. Don’t count the chickens before they hatch like Ray Gibbon Drive. Keep in mind that the money tree died a few years ago, and we should not be spending money we don’t really have when the economy is in such bad shape.
Taxes were a big issue in your election campaign. Mr. Mayor and council, you made a number of promises regarding them and we the public want you to keep them.
John W. Smith, St. Albert
