I have read with interest the information and debate about the latest activity of our mayor, Nolan Crouse. It reveals to me how soon we forget how our local councillors evolve.
Nolan Crouse has been with us for a long time. He came up through the ranks of council – we therefore expect he is well past the learning curve of understanding how council operates; by this time he should know about expenses, etc., and how to report them. Why did he not talk with members of city administration before he took up his regional position – in my opinion it is because he has fallen prey to the power that comes with office.
One of the letter comments spoke of the waste of the councillor’s time researching this “double dipping.” To date, we have seen a lot of time spent by the mayor going to personally attacking a citizen who questioned his behaviour at a public event, when the mayor spoke in a derogatory way. In fact, this man had his livelihood threatened, when the mayor sent a letter to his employer using city letterhead. Then there was the time spent evolving a policy for the region because the mayor took exception to a third party during the election voicing opinions about council candidates, suggesting this was giving some candidates a financial advantage!
Yes it is important that we ensure that those who represent us do so in a responsible manner. Those who are given the mandate by some citizens to act on our behalf must do so remembering that citizens expect trustworthy leadership. I personally commend the members of council who took it upon themselves to investigate the poor bookkeeping. I hope that all members of council continue to be vigilant and remember that they represent the citizens who pay them to do so in a fair and ethical way.
Elizabeth Allchin, St. Albert
