Province Must Step In To Save City From Itself

The Voter’s post on the current city budget is required reading for people who care about this city (click here).

Just to add to The Voter’s fine analysis, your agent would say that nobody gives away $36 million (the illegal hole in the budget) without conditions unless Ontario Premier Doug Ford becomes Santa Claus or the tooth fairy.

Many of us in this world clean up our own finances (or handle them very well) without running to mommy and daddy for more money.

And those conditions could be or should be to appoint an experienced, excellent administrator to clean up the city fiscal mess and get good people in senior positions at Ottawa City Hall. The administrator must cut nice-to-have programs to must-have programs. This person must also find a ‘world-class’ executive to clean up the appalling ‘world-class’ mess at OC Transpo.

The administrator’s term ends after the next election or until the fiscal disaster is straightened out.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has had two years to find a suitable plan to repair the light-rail calamity. Not fix it. Just get some kind of initiative. There was a plan that involved train builder Alstom which the company stopped. And why shouldn’t it? Alstom doesn’t believe it is the problem. Would you fix your neighbour’s car if you didn’t believe you caused the problem? Not a chance.

Now there’s a vague, uncosted plan with Alstom to fix the train. Finally, after two years. Where this leads is anyone’s guess but if the city plays to form, not very well.

Screw up your finances and mommy and daddy might step in to save you. But god knows there will be conditions.

The conditions in the city’s case should be an administrator and a sound LRT expert to clean up the mess at Ottawa City Hall. The city has had more than enough time to heal itself but the situation has become worse rather than better.

The province must step in before the city creates even bigger problems. The city can’t fix itself (it has had lots of time to do so) and actually has a budget provision that’s against the law. The mind wobbles.

The province must save Ottawa residents from their failed city hall.

Ken Gray

For You:

City’s Fiscal Mess Will End Poorly: THE VOTER

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Answer These Refugee Questions: PATTON

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