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Changes needed to honour list
The long-standing bad blood between our mayor and
council was evident
again this week when tempers flared during budget talks over one of the
mayor's
pet projects.
It
was hardly a big budget item but the bickering over it was symbolic
of a much larger problem on council.
Some
councillors at the session questioned the money budgeted every year
to pay for the Mayor's Honour List event. While spending a few thousand
dollars
on a civic reception seems minute when deliberating a $65 million
budget, we
hope the root of some councillors' concerns was not lost on a failed
motion.
First
of all, the event should not be cancelled as was suggested in a
motion from the council floor. But undoubtedly the event should be
restructured. The mayor's honour list is an outstanding concept which
was
started by former mayor Marceil Saddy. Since it is municipally-funded,
a
committee of council, including the mayor, and members of the community
at
large, should be formally invited to be part of the decision-making
process.
Bestowing honour on citizens of the community is an important civic
responsibility and should require more than one person's final decision.
In
a cost cutting move, the mayor excluded members of his own council
from the guest list this year. That in itself creates ill will and
makes it
more of a mayor's event than a civic event.
As
pointed out by Councillor Anne Khan, the event should not include a
free bar. Legal liabilities aside, the taxpayers of this city should
not be
paying for honourees and guests to drink alcohol. A cash bar should be
expected.
Unfortunately,
some people will view this latest council battle as
nothing more than an attack on the mayor. In reality, the concerns are
legitimate, but the plan to try and implement the change wasn't
properly
communicated.
Editorial The Observer 2003 03 08
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