During the JCI Mayoral Debate on November 8th, Jim Wavrecan said that he supported the City in proceeding with a referendum on water meters as it was one of the findings of Cranbrook Connected. Then he pointedly stated that he was going to vote against it. Encouraging a referendum on the question of water meters, that is rightly going to fail, is the worst sort of political opportunism. A councillor shouldn't get points for encouraging a referendum without putting in the work to try to ensure its success. How is that listening to the people?
This water meter referendum is a waste of time, money and is damaging to the promotion of reducing water consumption. Of course we should have a user pay system. I hate subsidizing wasteful practices. There should have been work done to hash out a cost effective way of installing and using water meters before a referendum was held. What were the Mayor and city councilors thinking?
ReplyDeleteI agree with "Down the Drain in Cranbrook". Where was the debate on alternatives, or interim measures? Once again, the public's voice was left out.
ReplyDeleteOnly in Cranbrook methinks would such nonsense by elected representatives occur, and Wavrecan wants to be the mayor?
ReplyDeleteI really hope that the good citizens of Cranbrook elect a responsible mayor and council -- I have lived here more than 22 years now, and the past three have been the most divisive, all brought on by those elected to serve us at the local level. It has been a shame and the citizens deserve better.
According to their web site the sustainability plan Connecting to our Future developed by Cranbrook Connected was endorsed by all of Council. If you read the plan you will see that a referendum on water meters is listed as a goal but it doesn't say to do it right away. See www.cranbrookconnected.ca. Council chose to do it this election as a referendum and that is their decision as our elected representatives. But if a councilor voted in favour of selecting this election as the proper timing for the referendum, I think he or she should stick with their decision. It tells you how he or she might act on future decisions.
ReplyDeleteYou seem very hypocritical in your opinions on this blog. You want everything to be seconded for further debate and consideration, but voting against a referendum is 'political opportunism'? And how is a supporting the referendum process anything but giving people the right to choose, or in other words, listening to the people? It seems like you can't stand that you agree with Councillor Wavrecan, and are just looking for anything to point at and make an issue of. You are saying that you agree with him, but hey wait, he's not allowed to vote against the referendum! He doesn't get a vote! He can't have an opinion too! That's my job to disagree & complain!
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