In the story, “Hope for Kelly Lake business owners” (published May 15, 2017), a statement made by city officials says that it would have to add $500,000 to $600,000 to the cost of the project.
Is this project so large that the city’s business owners and access to private homes in the area are ignored? Later it was made known that surplus funds had been found to cover the poorly planned construction upgrade. Now it is published that city hall is looking to find savings in the upcoming budget.
In the story “Council opts to fund social service benefits province won't” (July 13, 2017, Northern life), one of the options that should never had been discussed was “to agree to forgo $350,000 of the $800,000 it's expected to save when the province takes over the full cost of funding social services next year.”
“The money will be used to fund some of the discretionary benefits recipients receive now, but the province doesn't fund. Among the discretionary benefits in question is medically necessary dental care for kids on social assistance.”
Try to imagine: $600,000 falls from the sky for another project that has been botched by city planning, yet they say that the health of a child, proper dental care, is a discretionary benefit.
Shame, shame. So this is our future?
D. Maisonneuve
Sudbury