Demand fiscal responsibility

I appreciate and support the recent commentary in the paper that encourage transparency of the 2017 municipal budget to assess whether current representatives are indeed being fiscally responsible.

Phil Tanks’ column with suggestions for more transparency at city hall and Jordon Cooper’s column on what we should be looking for in a mayor have echoed my thoughts.

I have become increasingly dismayed at what I see is a lack of respect for citizens and in decisions being made on using their tax dollars.

I encourage people to seek leaders who demand a high standard of fiscal and project management. There seems to be a fluid standard of accountability and strategic decision making that likely has contributed to our fiscal deficit and out-of-control capital projects such the stillincomplete Remai Modern Art Gallery. Meanwhile, essential infrastructure spending becomes limited.

Since 2014, city council has allocated its members sizable funds for communication, with councillors getting $10,000 each and the mayor, $120,000 each year to potentially promote themselves.

There seem to be no caveats to this allowance to remove public billboards etc. during an election year, giving an unfair advantage to incumbents.

I’d like to see values-based decision making in our city leadership. I also seek leadership that makes more effort to talk to citizens about non-essential capital projects before we invest millions that we currently do not have.

Citizens need to show up on Oct. 26 and ensure that Saskatoon moves ahead with the degree of fiscal responsibility and management we deserve. Verona Thibault, Saskatoon