Commentary on Input to Council's Five Year Financial Plan

One Council member saw fit at the end of last evening’s Council meeting to rail against all those who had given comment on the Five Year Financial Plan. These letters according to one member of council were seen as personal attacks on the integrity of council. This reaction is baffling to say the least. Input was requested and so some citizens were thoughtful enough to put pen to paper and give their thoughts. They were not an attack on members of council but expressions of interest and opinion on where they saw changes might be made for the betterment of the community. Reasons and documentation were provided.


It is council’s right to uphold their original document if they so choose. Opinions don’t come in sugar coated pills. They may taste good and they may not. However if they are reasoned responses to requests for input one would think they at least would be accepted with good grace by the people who were elected to serve. Maybe reasoned responses as to why the opinions and ideas cannot be implemented need to be given back i.e. debate and discussion. It is then councils’ choice whether they accept those opinions. It seems informed opinions have become offensive by their very nature. No questions or opinions from the plebs please!
Again in the Council Comments section another Councillor wanted to let the public know that the Five Year Financial Plan really doesn’t always mean a lot as if to negate the very Five Year Plan that the public was asked to comment on. Some items apparently remain in the plan for many sets of five years. So we really need not worry?

Okay, so the Five Year Financial Plan really doesn’t mean much and our opinions are even more worthless(unless they are a pat on the back) so what are we all getting our knickers in a twist for? Sounds like this is a case of much ado about nothing…….or is it?

There were three or four letters referenced in this latest outcry. The one letter from Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook can be read at:
http://www.livablecranbrook.org/www.livablecranbrook.org/Citys_5_Yr._Financial_Plan_Comments_2011.html

Interpretation put on the letter made it difficult to recognise so it has been made public for the record. We hope to be able to publish some of the other letters, which were submitted, at a later date if we are able to gain the authors' permission and if readers let us know this is a priority issue.  The letters could possibly be accessed through a request to City Hall.