Politicians get a raise during time of cuts

Editor:

While we in our great city are forced to pay more due to the Saskparty fiscal mismanagement of our tax dollars, there are those who will be making extra.

I noticed recently our newly elected Swift Current MLA, having been in his job for only a few months, has already qualified for a raise.

Of course congratulations as a legislative secretary - when right now we are all facing hardships - the Saskparty can afford to give more government money to him, another Southwest MLA and others.

This of course comes from a Saskparty government who cut education, government jobs, wage freezes, and cut funding to municipal governments, including our great City of Swift Current.

While we are forced to pay more with less, there will always be the Saskparty who will want to take more of your money to spend.

Shaynee Modien - Swift Current Editor:

Our administration is a closed door operation with an army of managers. We never hear a word as taxpayers until the subject is passed by Council.

I can’t understand that Council just seems to rubber stamp their decisions. We never hear that a councillor questioned some decisions, or voted against it, or even sent it back for changes.

Is City Council under the same path as administration? We vote in Council to represent us as taxpayers in our best interest. Council is supposed to oversee administration actions and it is time council does a complete audit of same.

We the taxpayers pay their salaries and it is their responsibility to advise us of plans (especially Capital Expenditures other than ‘musts’) so they can be discussed and have a say before implementing and voted on.

Administration think they have a mint handy and just spend now (much wastefully) with no consideration (plus the many poor decisions in the earlier years) of planning now and in the future.

We have a huge deficit and I am sure that many of these projects, dreams, and non essential spending can be planned for later, after we get our huge deficit in order

Administration just proposed our new budget with a 13.14 per cent increase after last years huge increase. A 6.4 per cent increase is the largest of our neighbours to the east (Yorkton, Regina and Moose Jaw).

How can our administration even justify 13.14 per cent?

The only good thing about this budget is to lessen debt by $3.5 million. What is ironic about this is they found $4 million to loan? (gift) to a private club for cosmetic work in 2016. How arms free was their decision as well as the vote by Council? The other ironic part of this decision was forgiving $60,000 on city land we are selling for lots (unbelievable). Just put us in another increase of a half million dollars on our debt.

Last year we had reassessment. My assessment nearly doubled, which was completely insane. I was assured by City Hall staff, and their brochure, that this was only a figure and that rates would be adjusted accordingly. What a bunch of malarkey. They stated an assessment of $250,000 would mean an increase of $10.83 per month. How come with my inflated assessment of $142,320 my tax increased by $20.81 per month compounded by an increase of 55 per cent education. They stated the average increase would be $6 plus per month.

What huge shock will our 2018 bill have in store this year?

In closing, to show their lack of communication, street cleaning was done on 6th NE by the cemetery during the end of April. The next day the Parks Department were blowing gravel, sand and dead grass onto the street.

This proves the left hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.

Glenn Daniels - Swift Current