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 Online Poll
Are you satisfied with city council's efforts to maintain a zero budget?
No   61     67%
Yes   30     33%
 Total Votes: 91


Comments   Add Your Own
Bill  ( April 18, 2007)
When the hospital and Pinecrest Home were aiming for a zero budget, there were staff reductions. Haven't seen a lot of effort by city managers to "trim the fat!"
Then along comes the Rec Center looking for more money because they don't charge what it costs to run the place.
Maybe the words PRIVITIZATION and USER PAY should be introduced.
kirk  ( April 17, 2007)
There's what they're telling us they're trying to do, and then there's, what they're going to do.
Rob  ( April 17, 2007)
There is still a lot of extra staff around!! There were some cuts made last year but technically those cut are still on the payroll. Seems to be a lot of people doing less work.
annie  ( April 17, 2007)
If a zero budget means.....
-complete disregard for vulnerable handi-transit patrons
-the closure of the Keewatin library
-the relocation of the cenotaph
-monetary scrutiny of our police force who is already highly under-appreciated
-loss of city employees and reckless concern for their personal hardships
-under-staffed municipal crews with unimaginable work loads
YET....
-almost 3 million towards the doctor's clinic
-roughly 9 million on a road
- multi-millions in revitalization dollars...
then NO... I am not a proponent of how council has managed to attain a zero budget! They certainly seem NOT to represent my respect for EACH and EVERY citizen of the community. We ought to defend our own with MUCH more grace!!!
Practicing the 'Golden Rule' is not a sacrifice.... it's an investment!
Jack  ( April 17, 2007)
Tax revenues down so expenditures must go down. Now is time to cut bloated city bureaucracy. All city departments need review. City is loaded with too many overpaid, underworked employees.
realist  ( April 16, 2007)
Council's bid to try to hold the line is a step in the right direction, but I think some more savings are under their nose in the town office accounting department, too many people. the engineering dept. I too could contract everything out because I'm scared to make a decision. Abitibi is gone folks and the taxes with them, reality has set in, where's all the economic development? Better yet where"s the development officer hiding?
Myron  ( April 16, 2007)
If people want a balanced budget they have to be prepared to accept some loss of services that will impact them personally. I like that the current mayor is willing to take this approach. It will help us to focus on other areas where costs can be reduced, as most people don't pay too much attention to this stuff until it actually affects them personally.
Wes  ( April 15, 2007)
This council is making decisions that really need to be made. The last thing anyone wants to do is pay more in taxes.
  ( April 14, 2007)
I can't say I'm real happy about it but I feel better knowing that at least this council is trying to keep spending down. Not like the last mayor, who thought he could spead money freely and not worry about the citizen's of the area.
Mike  ( April 13, 2007)
Cutting the library and then increasing the firefighters wages to equal the police is ridiculous. I would wash the firetruck and sleep and play crib for half their wages which would be about $16 an hour.

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