It has become clear that Peterborough’s city council is failing

I’m finding it difficult to decide whether Peterborough city council is getting lazy or if they are simply incompetent. Maybe I shouldn’t generalize as we all know the hot water that gets people into these days. Not every councillor falls into this category but it does seem like most are complacent in the way things are going.

First we have the idea of off-loading daycare expenses to the private sector without there being much consideration (so far) as to the impacts this will have, let alone the cost. Regardless of why this is happening in terms of provincial funding cuts you can guarantee that whatever council decides, it will cost more to close the city run daycare centres.

Then we have the declaration of a climate emergency before completing a study to examine what this even means and how it will affect the city moving forward.

Of course, there is also the current issue with the recycling contract. The city has hired the lowest bidder and is now receiving the comparable quality of work for doing so. Council really allowed a seven-year contract, costing taxpayers $28.4 million, to be signed without giving any input?

Council, for years now, has been determined to fix things that aren’t broken and create more things to be maintained all while ignoring the problems that actually need solutions. What is the biggest complaint you see in the city from people? Our roads. Yet our roads continue to deteriorate.

This past summer headlines were dominated by the issue of a tent city in our core. Where was our mayor on the day of eviction from the park? A perfectly timed holiday of course. Anything to avoid the public scope of criticism from every angle that would soon follow.

Ah, tent city, yet another lovely debacle. For two years the site of the Brock Mission has sat as an empty pit of gravel while council ho-hummed and twiddled their thumbs about it. Trying to scratch nickels together, suggesting it was too expensive. A multi-pad arena, a canoe museum, a $12-million dollar library renovation, a $10-plus million dollar urban park downtown. Spare no expense on those projects by all means. On and on with the things we do not need and cannot afford. The lipstick on this pig is certainly starting to sparkle at least.

I don’t know how anyone else feels but it is getting pretty worrisome. People pay a premium to live in Peterborough. Property taxes and rents continue to rise to ridiculous heights. Some development fees, yet another misguided idea by council, may see a 26 per cent increase. For the high cost of living in Peterborough you would think we would get something back of value. An air show that barely made a profit? Is that the best we can do?

The Ratepayers’ Association released their limited and maybe slightly biased grading of councillors thus far. I don’t agree with their report at all. I personally would have given many of the councillors a much lower grade than what they did.

I will give council some benefit of the doubt. I know they all mean well and want the best for our city. The problem is that how they are currently proceeding is not working out well. Committee upon committee formed to do their job for them while nothing truly tangible is being done to solve the issues at hand that people care most about. Lots of talk with little action.

This past municipal election was, in many ways, a vote for change. I once again question whether it was for the better. If you think I sound angry, I truly wonder, why aren’t you?