Communicating or Listening?

In the same column as mentioned below, Mayor Friel also has stated that "this council will become the model for communication with the public". That's good, as communication was lacking with the previous council and as long as the communication is actual fact and not just Friel spin.

But even more important than communicating the reasons for their actions to the public, would be to actually listen to want the public, read the taxpayers, wants and has to say. How about becoming a model for that too, Mayor Friel?

Staff Gapping

The Brantford City Council has decided to plan in a savings of $900,00 for "staff gapping" (the time from when a position goes vacant to when it is filled again) to help cut this years tax increase from 2.54% to 1.21%. Assuming, for the sake of argument, that the average salary and benefits for a city worker amounts to $75,000/yr, then 24 positions will have to go vacant and stay that way for at least six months or more each to accomplish this savings. And, if you can do without someone in a position for six months, can that position really be that necessary or at least not made into a permanent part-time position? Creative accounting? For sure!

Part of the reason for the tax increase is increasing city staff by 21 people. In his column in the local paper, Mayor Friel argues that four of those positions will have absolutely no affect on the budget because they are in revenue supported areas. But doesn't extra people mean extra expenses and thus reduced profit (or greater loss) for these areas, which will surely impact the budget. Please tell me that we don't have a mayor who doesn't understand simple accounting.