I urge the public and city council not to be
so easily enamoured with the quick fix of borrowing $60 million
to solve our infrastructure problems. Our infrastructure is an
embarrassment because for a decade, the city has been spending
money that should have been put aside for roads and water on an
attempt to be a "big player" in business.
Council must take charge of the budget
process and not have staff simply take the prior year's budget
and merely factor in inflationary and salary increases.
They should demand an internal report on
freezing hiring consultants and lawyers for the next 10 years.
External consultants should be approved only by council in open
session.
We may need to borrow to fix our long-ignored
roads, and taxes may need to go up 60 per cent in the next 10
years, but the city better show that all has been done to
minimize the blow.
Joe Cimino
, Sudbury
Editor's note: Joe Cimino ran unsuccessfully for city
council in November.